The 25th edition of the World Travel Awards, awards considered as the “Tourism Oscars”, revalidates Peru’s first position as an essential place to visit lovers of good food, culture, and breathtaking landscapes.
In addition to confirming the award for the best gastronomic destination in the world 2018 (a title it has held since 2012) and the award for the best cultural destination in the world 2018 (it takes over from Bolivia, which won it in 2017), Machu Picchu has also won the award for the best tourist attraction in the world 2018.

Peruvian cuisine, one of Peru’s greatest attractions

In recent years, Peruvian cuisine has gained international recognition. A good example of this is that in the “Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants” list there are nine Peruvian restaurants, three of them among the top 10 (1st, 2nd, and 8th).

The choice of Peru as the best Culinary Destination in the World for the seventh consecutive year only confirms that Peruvian dishes are one of the great attractions of Peru.

Along with Peru, the prize for the best gastronomic destination was disputed by Argentina, Australia, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Spain, Thailand, and the United States. But it has been the Peruvian culinary tradition, which combines sustainability, tradition, and multiculturalism, that has managed to conquer the palate of the jury.

The great projection of Peru as a gastronomic destination is contributing to promote the so-called ‘Fourth Generation’ of chefs, young chefs with an important social commitment that in addition to feeding others also seek to benefit a broad production chain.

The most cultural Peru

Bolivia, China, France, India, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, and Vietnam were the other destinations that, together with Peru, competed for the award as the best cultural destination in the world in 2018.

Peru’s large, valuable and well-kept archaeological heritage and its varied and vibrant cultural and artistic life, where there is no shortage of plans in museums and art galleries, have earned Peru its recognition as the best destination in the world for cultural tourists.

Peru boasts a great multicultural richness and ancestral traditions, which coexist with other more contemporary ones. But if there is one thing that stands out from a cultural point of view it is its immeasurable archaeological heritage, with 12 UNESCO World Heritage sites and vast nature reserves.

Machu Picchu, the best tourist place on the planet

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the seven wonders of the modern world, the citadel of Machu Picchu continues on the podium of places that we must visit at least once in our lives.

Competing for the award were also the Acropolis (Athens, Greece), the Burj Khalifa (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the Great Wall of China, IMG Adventure Worlds (United Arab Emirates), Intramuros (Philippines), the Las Vegas Strip (Nevada, USA), Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Spike Island (Ireland), the Sugar Loaf (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and the Taj Mahal (India).

Its award as the best tourist attraction of 2018 recognizes the value of this important architectural and artistic vestige of more than 20,000 years old, the legacy of the Inca Empire, through which 4 million tourists passed in 2017.

Learn Spanish, an added value of visiting Peru

In addition to these three important international recognition, there are many other reasons to visit Peru, such as its language. Learning Spanish is also an important added value when traveling to Peru.

Can you imagine how much you will enjoy all the charms of the country if you also know Spanish? In addition to the adventure of discovering Peru, there are the advantages of a language trip: total immersion in Peruvian culture.

If you choose a city like Cuzco, very close to Machu Picchu, in addition to learning Spanish in Peru you will also have much more at hand the best tourist place on the planet and see the reasons why it has earned the title of best cultural and culinary destination in the world.

Traveling, as confirmed by numerous researches, makes us happier, reduces our stress, improves our brain health and keeps our body and soul healthy. Discovering Latin America and learning Spanish could be one of your good purposes to be achieved in 2019.

Discover our Spanish school in Cuzco and live an authentic Peruvian experience.