CANATUR warns that, if this measure is implemented, the promotion of tourism in Peru will be sacrificed for purposes unrelated to its original purpose, affecting a public policy that has been key to positioning the country as a top destination on the global stage. Furthermore, this decision was taken without having considered the positions or technical contributions of the tourism associations, who have first-hand knowledge of the sector's reality, its needs and challenges.
The most serious aspect is that this modification has been promoted without prior consultation with the national tourism sector. There has been no discussion of the economic and social impact that such a measure could have on tourism businesses, employment or regional development. Nor has a technical study been presented to justify the urgency or convenience of such a drastic reform. The exclusion of the sector's actors in this process shows a worrying disconnection with reality and a lack of recognition of tourism as an engine of economic development, especially in regions that depend on this activity to generate opportunities.
CANATUR urgently calls on the Congress of the Republic to correct this serious error in the second plenary vote and to respect the original purpose of the Tourism Promotion Fund. This fund must continue to fulfil its strategic function: to position Peru as a competitive and sustainable tourist destination, and to strengthen the country's presence in international markets.
The Peruvian tourism sector will not remain silent. This legislative decision puts at risk years of joint effort and the progress achieved in terms of image, visibility and positioning of Peru as a quality destination. For this reason, CANATUR and its allied associations reaffirm their commitment to the defence of national tourism and announce that they will remain firm, united and fighting against any attempt to divert the resources that rightfully belong to the country's tourism development.
Peru has a cultural, natural and gastronomic wealth that makes it unique in the world, but its sustainable use depends to a large extent on adequate, professional and continuous promotion. To deprive tourism of its promotional tools is to leave one of the most resilient sectors with the greatest potential for growth and social inclusion unprotected.
CANATUR insists that Congress must rectify this decision in its next vote, preventing a reform that will negatively affect not only tourism, but also the wellbeing of the communities that live from this activity and the economic future of the country.
