The Holy See confirmed this morning that Pope Leo XIV will visit Peru between November 6 and 17 of this year, as part of his first apostolic trip to South America, which will also include Uruguay and Argentina.
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The news is especially relevant for the country because, although the Supreme Pontiff was born in the United States, he holds Peruvian nationality. In addition, he carried out much of his pastoral work in northern Peru, especially in Chiclayo, a city where he lived for eight years.
After the announcement was made, President Keiko Fujimori expressed her enthusiasm for the visit and stated that it will represent “a moment of encounter for our faith and a message of hope for our country.”
For his part, Foreign Minister Carlos Espá reported that a thanksgiving mass will be held at the Las Palmas Air Base, where the faithful will be able to participate in a meeting with the Holy Father.
“President Fujimori will receive the Pope at the Government Palace, where they will hold a private meeting. There will also be a meeting with various authorities. It will be a very important visit to the Government Palace. In addition, he will meet with young people to close the activities for the jubilee of the 300th anniversary of the canonization of Saint Toribio de Mogrovejo,” the minister said.
The boost to religious tourism
The last time Peru received a visit from a Holy Father was in 2018, when Pope Francis toured Lima, Trujillo, and Puerto Maldonado. On that occasion, there was a movement of one and a half million tourists within the national territory. For this visit, the dynamism could increase by 50%, according to Carlos Loayza, general manager of the National Chamber of Tourism of Peru (Canatur).
“For this occasion, there is a different narrative that makes the visit more attractive. We already have requests from neighboring countries such as Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador, which are considering the possibility of joining us. So, the expected flow of tourists will be much greater than that with Pope Francis,” he says.
The arrival of the faithful would generate an economic movement of between US$20 million and US$40 million, driven mainly by domestic tourism and a moderate increase in inbound tourism, estimated the Peruvian Association of Inbound and Domestic Tour Operators (Apotur).
“We have a very favorable expectation that this visit will help consolidate Peru as a religious tourism destination. In the short term, the greatest impact will be reflected in domestic tourism, with greater movement towards Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco, and Pucallpa. In inbound tourism, growth will be gradual and will begin to be more clearly appreciated from 2027 onwards, as the Route of Pope Leo XIV is consolidated and promoted internationally,” said Claudia Medina, president of Apotur.
By that time, the Peruvian Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (Apavit) projects growth of between 20% and 35% in package sales, depending on the city and the confirmation of the official program of activities.
“We expect Chiclayo to be the main beneficiary due to its close relationship with Pope Leo XIV, followed by Lima, as the gateway to the country, and also Cusco and Pucallpa, cities included in the announced tour, which could receive a significant flow of visitors,” said Patricia Campos, president of Apavit.
Chiclayo prepares to receive the faithful
According to information from the Holy See, the Pope will visit Lima, Chiclayo, Pucallpa, and Cusco. Of these four cities, Loayza considers that both the capital and the northern city will be the main beneficiaries of the increase in tourism.
In fact, the Lambayeque Chamber of Commerce and Production estimates the arrival of at least one and a half million people, who could generate around S/750 million, due to an average daily consumption of S/500 per visitor; although the impact could be greater if the activation of all sectors is considered.
Manuel Scander Chikhani, president of the institution, said that the deployment to prepare for the Pope’s reception has already begun. However, he warned that one of the main challenges is accommodation capacity. Chiclayo has a hotel capacity of 60,000 beds, so the Chamber has been registering available rooms in private homes that could be used for lodging. So far, they have identified about 2,000 rooms.
“We have many homes with vacant rooms, so we will filter and prepare them to welcome visitors. This is an opportunity for micro and small enterprises, especially formal ones. We will activate construction businesses to paint the facilities and make other improvements; textile businesses for making sheets and bedding, and food industries to ensure the feeding of visitors,” he detailed.
In Chiclayo, they expect the faithful to gather at the Pampas de Reque for the meeting with the Pope. There they will take the opportunity to ask the Holy Father for the blessing of two major infrastructure projects: the port of Eten and an industrial park.
Cusco seeks to take advantage of the low season
Cusco also expects to receive about 50,000 visitors, both Peruvians and Bolivians, only during the days of the papal visit, and is preparing the Sacsayhuamán esplanade for the meeting with the faithful. Fernando Santoyo, president of the Chamber of Commerce of this region, explained that the arrival of visitors will boost the local economy, considering that November marks the beginning of the low season for tourism.
“November is characterized by marking the beginning of the low season and, during this month, we receive between 110,000 and 115,000 tourists. So, with the Pope’s visit, this figure could increase by as much as 50%,” Santoyo highlighted.
In Cusco, there are also six venues that are part of the city’s tourist circuit and whose operation is being coordinated with the archdiocese to facilitate both masses and visits during the Pope’s arrival. In fact, according to the spokesperson, arrangements are being made with the archdiocese to establish a special rate for those who visit these spaces during the Pontiff’s stay.
An opportunity to strengthen Peru’s image
The recovery of tourism in the country and Peru’s international positioning as a tourist destination could also be strengthened with this visit, highlighted Carlos Posada, executive director of the Institute of Research and Development of Foreign Trade (Idexcam) of the CCL.
“I believe it will improve the length of stay and spending per tourist during these dates, but it should not be seen as an isolated event; that is, an increase should not be considered only for the days the Pope visits. This is an opportunity to generate new routes, new tourist spaces, and greater promotion of the country, so that tourists continue visiting Peru,” he said.
