Peru Wins 6 World Travel Awards Including Machu Picchu

PERU · TRAVEL

Peru has won six regional prizes at the 2026 World Travel Awards, with Machu Picchu named South America’s leading tourist attraction. The organiser’s winners list also names Peru the continent’s leading destination overall.

For American travellers, the prizes point to more demand for a site whose daily entries are capped. Peru’s Ministry of Culture sells up to 1,000 Machu Picchu tickets a day in person, so buying ahead is the safer plan.

Which World Travel Awards Peru Won

The World Travel Awards are an annual awards programme for the travel and hospitality industry. The organiser holds regional galas through the year before a grand final, listed for 12 December in Tanzania.

The organiser’s 2026 South America list names Peru in five destination categories. Peru won Leading Destination, Leading Culinary Destination, Leading Cultural Destination and Leading Nature Destination.

Peru also won Leading Contributor to Sustainable Tourism at the World Travel Awards, while Machu Picchu took Leading Tourist Attraction.

Ecuador’s capital, Quito, won South America’s Leading City Destination, so Lima did not take that title. The World Travel Awards events page lists the Caribbean and the Americas gala in Jamaica on Sunday 11 October.

Andina, Peru’s state news agency, reported the six wins on Monday 12 October. It counted the five country titles and the Machu Picchu prize.

What Peru’s Tourism Minister Said

Peru’s tourism ministry is Mincetur, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, led by Minister Rogers Valencia. As its name says, it covers both foreign trade and tourism.

According to Andina, Valencia said the six awards reaffirm Peru’s commitment to competitive, sustainable and inclusive tourism. Andina added that PromPerú, the state agency that promotes Peru abroad, is marketing its destinations in foreign markets.

How Machu Picchu Limits Its Visitors

Machu Picchu is an Inca citadel high in the Andes, in the Cusco region of southern Peru. Visits are capped each day to protect the site.

Peru’s Ministry of Culture runs ticket sales through its Cusco office, known as the DDC Cusco, and through an official online platform. Some tickets are also sold in person.

Those in-person tickets are sold at the ministry’s cultural centre in Machu Picchu Pueblo, the town at the foot of the site. The Cusco culture office set that counter’s allowance at 1,000 tickets a day.

The same limit of up to 1,000 in-person tickets a day still applies under current rules, Andina reported on Monday. The ministry also urges visitors to see other museums and archaeological sites in the Cusco region.

Hotels and Tour Firms on the List

Several private businesses in Peru also won regional titles. Machu Travel Peru was named South America’s leading tour operator, and Treehouse Lodge its leading eco-lodge.

Aranwa Cusco Boutique Hotel won the luxury boutique hotel prize, and Miraflores Park, A Belmond Hotel in Lima won Most Romantic Resort. Among Peru’s national winners, the US car rental company Hertz was named Peru’s Leading Car Rental Company.

What It Means for You

If you plan to visit Peru, the prizes are a sign of strong interest, not a guarantee of an easy trip. Entry to Machu Picchu stays capped each day, however many people want to go.

Buy entry tickets before you fly, and treat the in-person counter in Machu Picchu Pueblo as a fallback. A guide to the new Machu Picchu ticket rules explains the current sales system.

The awards do not change ticket prices, opening hours or visitor limits at the citadel. They are a marketing tool for Peru, not a new rule for travellers.

For general safety advice, see how to stay safe in Peru.

What Is Not Known

The organiser’s winners page does not publish vote counts or explain how each category was decided. The ceremony time in Jamaica is also not stated.

The organiser has not said whether its South American winners go forward to the grand final in Tanzania. Peru’s government has not tied the prizes to any change in visitor numbers at Machu Picchu.

More: Peru news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which World Travel Awards did Peru win in 2026?

Peru won South America’s Leading Destination, Culinary Destination, Cultural Destination, Nature Destination and Contributor to Sustainable Tourism. Machu Picchu was named Leading Tourist Attraction at the World Travel Awards.

Can I still buy Machu Picchu tickets on arrival?

Up to 1,000 tickets a day are sold in person at the Ministry of Culture’s centre in Machu Picchu Pueblo. That counter is limited, so buying ahead online is the safer plan.

Who runs ticket sales for Machu Picchu?

Peru’s Ministry of Culture runs them through its Cusco office, the DDC Cusco. It sets daily limits to protect the Inca citadel.

Did Lima win an award?

Lima did not win the city title, which went to Quito in Ecuador. A Lima hotel, Miraflores Park, A Belmond Hotel, won Most Romantic Resort.

Sources: World Travel Awards, South America winners 2026, 12 October 2026; World Travel Awards, events 2026, 12 October 2026; Andina, 12 October 2026; Andina, 12 October 2026; Dirección Desconcentrada de Cultura de Cusco, 11 August 2023.

Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error

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