Plans afoot to encourage wider exploration of Peru

Overland tours of Peru might take guests to sites the average tourist won't see.

Overland tours visiting Peru might take travellers to attractions that they would not normally see if following the typical 'Gringo Trail' around South America.

Most visitors to the stunning nation head straight for the Andean city of Cusco, where they acclimatise to the altitude for a few days before heading on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

According to andina.com, this is a source of much head-scratching and annoyance at the country's ministry of foreign trade and tourism (Mincetur).

Ministers would like to see Brits and other adventure holiday explorers experience all that Peru has to offer, rather than just its headline attraction.

While Cusco, Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail should definitely make up part of any visit to the nation, there are numerous other places of historical and cultural interest that could provide a draw for intrepid travellers.

Mincetur representative Jose Luis Silva claimed earlier this week that there will be a drive to promote other attractions in the coming years.

"Over the next five years the government will make great efforts to decentralise tourism in Peru as 70 per cent of foreign tourists only visit Cusco or Machu Picchu, despite [the fact] our country holds 20 or 30 major destinations," the online resource quoted him as saying.

He added that Peruvians will regularly visit the cheaper sites, so encouraging more of this behaviour to spread the interest around evenly might be a good idea.

The nation's wildlife could also be a new focus for those on adventure holidays, the minister noted.

"In addition to the mentioned cultural destinations, Peru is the second country in the world in terms of diversity of birds, surpassed only by Colombia," he said.

Other attractions in Peru include the Nazca Lines, the capital city of Lima and Puerto Maldonado national park.