Peru, a World Tourist Destination - Term Paper Example

PERU, A WORLD TOURIST DESTINATION Name Tutor Course Date PERU Map Peru is one of the countries in South America, Latin America. It is claimed to be the 20th largest country in the world, and the third largest in South America. It lies within the southern hemisphere within latitude 10 ͦ00 S and longitude 76 ͦ00 W. It borders the following countries; Brazil on the West, Colombia on the North East, Ecuador on the North, Bolivia on the South East and Chile on the South (John, 2010). On the West it borders the pacific where it has a 3000 kilometer coastline. The capital city of Peru is Lima which is within latitude 12 ͦ03’ S and longitude 77 ͦ 03’ W. Peru has a very diverse climate and ecological regions; has over 80 ecological regions and 84 ‘life zone’ of the 177 in the word. It also richly endowed with natural resources. On it long coast which has narrow bands on desert and fertile valleys. The valleys owe their fertility to the river that flow form the mountain ranges. The coast makes up about 10 % of the country but is the most population part of the country with 52 % of the country living in the coast (Factmonster, 2011). The Amazon rainforest makes up about 60% of the country. This means that the better part is covered with tropical vegetation. Much of the country’s national is located in the Amazon rainforest. It also has highlands which make up over 30 % of the country. The highlands house the Andes Mountain Ranges which rises 22, 204 ft. above sea level at Mount Huascaran. The Sierra experiences two types of seasons; summer and winter. The summer which usually run from April to October and is usually characterized very sunny days, relatively cold nights and experience relatively low rainfall levels. This is usually the best time to visit Peru and all it has to offer. Also it is the perfect time to visit its beaches. The winter on the other hand usually runs from November to March and is characterized by very heavy rainfall and very cold nights and relatively hot days. Some of its natural resources include the Andres mountain ranges, the Amazon River which is the country’s main source of water, river Maranon, The Huallaga, The Ucayali which are tributaries of the Amazon River. More include Lake Titacaca which is most navigable lake and the highest commercially navigable lake in the world. Lastly we have Amazon forest which makes the largest part of the country. Lima, the capital city, is one of the largest cities in South America and one of the most populated in the world, with a population of over 10 million as at 2014. It is made up of 43 districts and is about 1550 meters above sea level. Another very significant city in the country is Cusco, which has a population of close to half a million and is located in the Andes ranges. The population is growing fast because of the growing tourist attraction (Peru, 2016). Taquile Island is another important region in the country. The island’s is just 5.72 km2 and a population of about 2500. The main inhabitants are the Taquilenos who are very skilled in hand-woven textile and high-quality handicraft. Natural Environment One of the most significant feature that defines Peru is the huge forest cover of the Amazon Jungle. The country has over 68 million hectares, which is 53 % of the total land area. For this forest cover, 83.1 % is publicly owned, 15.2 % is privately owned. When it comes to usage, 36.7 % is used for production, 0.5 % is protected, and 26.9 % is on conservation while 26 % is for multiple purpose use. One of the major difficulties that Peru is facing is deforestation, losing about 94, 000 ha per year (Nature, 2015). The forest is made up of about 2500 native trees species, 33 are critically endangered, 14 are already endangered while 54 are vulnerable to endangerment. Peru lies between latitude 10 ͦ00 S and longitude 76 ͦ00 W. As discussed it has two season; summer and winter. The summer is the best time to visit the country as it is characterized with low rainfall and hot days and relatively cold nights as compared with the winter. But Peru has a very diverse climate. It has 30 of the world’s 32 climates; this is owing to the fact that it is not that far from the equator, the rainfall forests, the Andes Mountains, the closeness to the ocean and the cold Humboldt Current. The eastern region experiences an equatorial climate with is characterized by low rainfall throughout the year and a hot weather which is also experienced throughout the year. The coast is made up of deserts and fertile plains. The former is characterized by a semi-arid climate while the latter experience warm, sunny weather with little or no rainfall during the summer (Anon., 2014). During the winter it experiences cool, weather both during the day and night and high humidity. The Andes has the most diverse climate but all are characterized with a steady temperature. The highest point sof the Andres experience the most rainfall. Peruvian Society Population composition Just like the climate, the ethnic composition of Peru is very diverse. The major population is made up of the Amerindians, who make up about 45 % of the population. They inhabited the country even before European exploration, and their records date in the 1500s. The Amerindians is majorly constituted of two major ethnic groups; the Aymaras and the Quenchuas who mostly are found on the southern side of the country. The second largest population composition is the Mestizos who make up 37 % of the population (Dean, 2009). The term is coined from the Spanish language which means a person from mixed decent; that is the Amerindians and the European. This was as a result of colonization, due to interaction between the Spanish and the locals. The Whites make up 15 % of the population which is approximately 5 million. The composition of this population is the Spanish, Germans, Jews, French, British, Croatians and Irish. The rest of the population, 3% is made up of Blacks, Asians, Afro-Peruvian, Mullato, Zambo and others. 77. 3 % of this population are in the urban areas, with the capital city being the most populated urban center. The growth rate of the population is at 1 % annually, which translates to about 3 million people per year. Languages spoken Due to a diverse population composition, Peru is a multilingual nation. But the national language is Spanish which is spoken by over 80 % of the population. So a tip for anyone who wishes to visit the country is to know a bit of Spanish (Anon., 2013). The second most popular language spoken is the Quechua which is spoken by about 13 % of the population, mostly the inhabitant in the central and southern part of the country. More languages include Aymara, Aguaruna and Shipibo. Religion Having being colonized by the Spanish who are mostly of Catholic religion it is no wonder that most of the population is of Roman Catholic religion, which is over 80 % of the population (Minaya, 2009). Other religions in the country include Protestants who are also Christians (10 %), atheists (5 %) and Islam (about 3 %) and the rest are not specified. Economic activities The country has a very large portion of its land fertile therefore allows agriculture. It is also richly endowed with minerals which include gold, zinc and copper which are exported. Its closeness to the ocean also allows extensive fishing, both in small scale and large scale. Also, the country has a very large tourism industry which also provides employment to the Peruvians. But despite this, there is an unemployment rate of about 10 % but only 58 % of the population is adequately employed. 14. 5 % of the population is considered poor, with the majority of this group being the rural areas of the country. Cultural diversity It is very easy to see the cultural diversity of the country. One of the ways is through the languages spoken. As mentioned about there are over five recognized languages in the country. Secondly we have the customs where there are over 3000 annual popular festivals which include the procession carnival and the patron saint feast (Smith, 2001). Lastly we have the music and dance; it is easy to observe the diversity in genre of music and different dances by the Peruvians. A mixture of the traditional genre and modern genre brings in a new taste and changes in the music in the country. But the Peruvians do not forget their roots, traditional dances and folklore which are as many as there ethnic groups are very common. Tourism Being one of the three largest industries in the country, tourism is a major source of income of Peru. It is also the fastest growing industry in the country. Being mostly covered with forest, it has a wide variety of wildlife in its national parks and reserves. The Amazon jungle is also made up of many different plant species, therefore, it is a haven for tourists who are interested in nature and ecology (Ingles, 2002). The forest is mainly divided into two; the upper jungle and the lower jungle. The former is has the most national parks and reserves while the latter is mostly untouched. The most popular national park in the country includes; The Manu, The Rio Abiseo, The Pacaya and Samiria to mention a few, ranked in terms of size. Inca Heritage Cultural tourism makes the better part of the country’s tourism industry. The Nasca, Chavin and the Inca Empire are among the most popular destinations. But the most popular are the Machu Picchu, an archaeological site discovered during the Spanish conquest. The archaeological site include baths, temples, storages and is believed to have been a secret ceremonial city and it is also belived that it was a retreat place for the Inca chief.it is believed to have built in between the 1438-’71 AD by the Pachacuti (John, 2010). The place is nicknamed the lost city. The country also provides adventure activities for the thrill seekers such as trekking, skiing, surfing, mountain climbing, sand boarding and dune buggy. Also beach sports are very popular as it has a long coastline. Lastly it has a rich variety of cuisines; once you visit Peru you should try out the variety of dishes they have to offer. This is owed to the diverse cultural and ethnic groups in the country. Lake Titicaca Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable river in the world and the largest lake in South America. It is therefore a popular tourist destination. They offer nice boat-rides. You also get to see the floating Island of Uros people and get a chance to meet the locals who will treat you with an experience of a lifetime; folklore, cultural history of the people (Peru, 2016). You also get a chance to shop at a local market, the Puno market. Problem facing the tourism sector As a developing country, Peru facing common problem that such countries face. One of the problems undermining tourist visit is the rate of crime, this is especially in the urban areas. Robbery, pickpocketing, purse snatching, assaults, carjacking, kidnapping are just a few of rampant crimes in Peru (John, 2010). Statistics put Peru as the country with the highest crime rate in the whole of South America. The government has tried it best to curb the situation but little improvement has been made. It is reported that murder increased by 14 % from 2013 to 2015. Such statistics are not good to the tourism industry. Infrastructure too is a problem in Peru; poor road networks, poor communications infrastructure, frequent power outage make the tourism industry in the country not to reach to its full potential. But the government is committed to improving the situation by increasing investment from both local and foreign investors. The increased rate of deforestation in the country is affecting the forest, the animals and ecosystem in the country. Human activities too pose a threat to the Machu Picchu. Gastronomic experience Peru is a haven for food lovers. The Peruvians have a strong link with Mother Nature and offer a very impressive variety of ingredients. It is known to have the best cuisines in the world. The country is not only for those who love eating fine cuisines but also for people who love to know how to cook them. They offer cooking where tourists get to learn to cook local dishes and also enjoy them. More of this you get to visit the Lima culinary tour, the coffee adventure to Machu Pichu, the Eco culinary experience Lurin & Pachacamac Valley. More to this there are numerous fruits varieties which are a healthy source of vitamins and minerals; among them Lucuma, cherimoya, camu camu, mangoes, passion fruits which are used to make very exquisite desserts, juices and cocktails. It is no surprise that it is the home for 4 of the best 50 restaurants in the world. The place is so full of variety of cuisines that they have a variety of tour experiences learning their cuisines. You could choose to have a half day cooking class, visit local markets and get fresh fruits, vegetables and species in the garden, learn how to make cocktails. They also have numerous cooking books for the local dishes. Transport Experience The country is struggling with infrastructure but it is not that quite bad. Most of its places and popular destinations are quite accessible. Flying is the easiest way to get to Peru. First its Jorge Chavez International airport is the country’s biggest and busiest. It has for major airlines, the LAN, StarPeru, Avianca and Peruvian. The airport serves as a hub for all the mentioned airlines. In Peru flying is the easiest and safest means of travelling (Anon., 2014). Cheap is not safe in Peru. This goes even to those who choose to use buses as their preferred means. It is therefore wise to choose the best buses such as the Cruz del, Sur, Ormeno or the Movil Tour which are quite safe and luxurious. The buses are convenient for long distance travelling but when it comes to moving about in the cities taxis are the easiest. They are numerous in the cities. They also have shared taxis, locally known as colectivos that carry a maximum of four passengers. They are convenient for travelling to places that are not served by buses, especially in the rural areas. Trains are also available but are very rare; mostly operate towards the Machu Picchu area. However they are considered to be much safer than roads and are quite luxurious. Small boats too, called lanchas are used to assess the interior most places in the Amazon regions. Accommodation Tourism being the biggest industry in the country, Peruvian people have invested a lot on accommodation. They have all types of hotels, if you are looking for adventure they have rustic rainforest lodges, colonial houses, if its luxury they have world class hotel, 5 star, 4 stars, 16th century monasteries (Claudia Torres, 2012). If you don’t wish to spend a lot there are smaller hotels, budget inns, the hospedajes pensiones and residenciales. Whatever the budget is or whatever experience you want to have n your stay in Peru there is something for everyone. Tourism Image-making It is sad that in this modern age that human trafficking still exists in the world. Peru is one of those countries that have been affected by this social vice with the main victims being the young girls. Such news is not good for the tourism industry. But something is being done to change the image of the country. One of the organizations bringing this change is the Pura Vida Foundation. Since its presence in Peru it has helped a great deal in stopping the extensively and lucrative trafficking and abuse of young girls (Smith, 2001). It is sad that people would take advantage of young girls from poor families and due to poverty at times parents just let it happen and were okay with it just to get money to fed themselves and make ends meet. The organization has helped a great deal in stopping the business and creating awareness. As for the poor families the organization is trying to help them get jobs and make some money. This is changing the bad picture that outsiders had about the country. Works Cited Anon., 2013. Chapter 3: Language contact in the North Peruvian Andes and is sociohistorical basis. The Spanish of the Northern Perubian Andes. Anon., 2014. Country Reports. [Online] Available at: www.countryreports.org/country/Peru/environement.htm [Accessed 26 April 2017]. Claudia Torres, S. J. G. B. M. L. C. K., 2012. Social-ecological factors influencing tourist satisfaction in three ecotourism lodges in the southeastern Peruvian Amazon. Tourism Mnagement. Dean, B., 2009. The "Peopkefrom Downstream". Urarina Society, Cosmology and History in Peruvian Amazonia. Factmonster, 2011. Factmonster. [Online] Available at: http://www.factmonster.com/atlas/country/peru.html [Accessed 26 April 2017]. Ingles, P., 2002. Welcome to my Village: Hosting Tourists in the Peruvian Amazon. Tourism Recreational Research. John, R., 2010. Peru 2006, a Report Card. Toledo's Peru. Minaya, L., 2009. Is Peru Turning Protsetant?. The Peru Reader. Nature, 2015. The Nature Conservancy. [Online] Available at: https://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/southamerica/peru/index.html [Accessed 26 April 2017]. Peru, D., 2016. Discover Peru. [Online] Available at: www.discoverperu.org/facts-about-Peru's-biodiversity-and-environemant/ [Accessed 26 April 2017]. Smith, N., 2001. Are Indigenous People Conservationists?: reminary Results From The Machiguega Of The Peruvian Amazon. Rationality and Society. Read More