SECURITY FOR TOURISTS IN THE AMAZON RIVER

Joint work by public and private sectors will lead to a Security Plan, including long, medium and short term measures

The Regional Government of Loreto, with the support of the Ministries of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Internal Affairs, Defense and the Peruvian Navy, is devoted to the implementation of several actions aimed at providing security to tourists navigating the Amazon river and its tributaries, considering the significant importance of tourism in our region. These actions are part of a long, medium and short term Plan, and a follow-up, to ensure that this is a sustainable proposal.

The short-term Plan includes immediate actions, some of which have already been implemented several days ago, such as providing private security teams to tourist vessels 24 hours a day and keeping track of them in real-time. In the medium term, the plan includes the implementation of a larger security infrastructure along the majestic Amazon river, and, finally, all this work will be strengthened by sustainability actions with the communities, so that inhabitants are the first ones to be benefited from the development of tourism.

All these measures will be taken thanks to a coordinated effort of the public and private sector, with active participation of the institutions and associations that are related with the decision making as far as security of tourists is concerned.

Please disseminate this information.

Iquitos, August 18, 2009.