Peru showcased as destination for immersive cultural travel experiences

LIMA, Peru – Peru successfully partnered with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival to showcase the country as a destination for immersive cultural travel experiences. This June 24-June 28 and July 1-July 5, 120 Peruvian artisans took to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to showcase 12 cultural manifestations to visitors. Festivalgoers participated in traditional Peruvian processions, dances, musical concerts, theatre, poetry, culinary workshops, handcraft lessons and more! Peru made history as the first destination to be the sole focus of the entire event.

“We are so pleased with the success of Peru’s partnership with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival this year,” says Magali Silva Velarde-Álvarez, Peru’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism. “The festival gave us an opportunity to give festivalgoers a taste of Peru’s cultural assets and hope they left the festival inspired to plan a visit to our country.”

A major Festival initiative was the construction of a rope bridge or q’eswachaka. A pre-Inca tradition, the hanging bridge is woven over a period of three days using raw materials by approximately 1,000 locals. This tradition was recently inscribed on UNESCO’s representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and considered a sacred expression of the communities’ bond with nature, tradition and history, and the annual renewal is accompanied by ritual ceremonies. The bridge measures over one hundred feet long and about four feet wide. During the Festival, visitors witnessed the construction of the braided bridge which became a permanent part of the collection at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

Peru is a top travel destination ranked among the top international countries to visit by The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA). Travelers can immerse into the country’s cultural treasures as they uncover the ancient roots of the Inca Empire in Cusco fused with the Spanish Colonial legacy. Adventure travelers can explore the natural thrills of the Amazon and the Andes. Culinary travelers can get a taste of why the World Travel Awards named Peru one of the World’s Top Culinary Destinations.