Peru kicks fifth gear with Dakar Rally

By Espinosa Bellido Abogados

The passage of the 2018 Dakar Rally through Peru will increase tourism, said President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski before the start of the sporting event. "We want to double tourism and we want tourists to do a variety of things in our country: from sports to gastronomy yo geographical and cultural visits", Kuczynski stated on January 6 during an interview.

Kuczynski hghlighted that the competition will be seen by 190 million people, increasing worldwide the exposure of the Country Brand. According to studies by the Peruvian Foreign Trade Minister, the 2018 edition will generate over USD 400 million on economic benefits to the country.  

The 2018 Dakar Rally is the 40th edition of the event and the tenth successive year that it will be held in South America. The event started in Lima, Peru, on January 6, and then run through Ica, Arequipa and Puno, also in Peru, before going into Bolivia and Argentina, were it will finish on January 20.

The rally is an annual raid which originally went from France to Dakar, Senegal, but due to security threats since 2009 it has been held in South America.