The Business Year Special Report
Luis Torres Paz, Former Executive President, PROMPERÚ
PROMPERÚ works to boost exports, develop tourism, and attract more investment to generate further growth in the country.
How would you assess your experience with digital transformation in light of COVID-19, and what is PROMPERÚ’s future strategy in this regard?
COVID-19 has accelerated the digital transformation that was started a few years ago, which is why we could continue with international promotion activities, despite the global conjuncture. Therefore, PROMPERÚ decided to further improve its digital environment; indeed, our main services are now digital. First, we promoted the virtual implementation of business rounds, where 1,296 exporters and international buyers participated in 27 activities among the food, clothing, manufacturing, services, and fishing industries. This strategy resulted in 2,927 digital business appointments. PROMPERÚ has an ambitious future strategy with four main projects: the international promotion of the Peru Marketplace, a digital channel that gathers the best Peruvian exports on offer; the extension of the e-commerce program to boost the participation of more exporters in marketplaces around the world; the implementation of an institutional CRM to build loyalty among our clients that use specialized services; and the automation of information and service management to improve our internal processes through innovative technologies such as big data, blockchain, and AI.
What is your outlook on the export potential of Peru’s superfoods, promoted under PROMPERÚ’s Superfoods Peru brand?
Peruvian agro-exports have great potential; besides being one of the most important international suppliers of several commercially known products such as blueberries, grapes, citrus species, avocados, asparagus, mangoes, fish products, and similar, it has many other products still little known in the world that could also promote a healthy lifestyle. Some examples are lucuma, an extraordinary natural energizer rich in niacin that helps the nervous system; goldenberry, which contains antioxidants, vitamins A and C, phosphorus, and potassium that help delay cellular aging and improve the performance of cardiovascular functions; yacón, recommended for hypocaloric and diabetic diets because its consumption promotes the absorption of glucose in the peripheral tissues and improves the sensitivity of insulin; and sacha inchi, which contains an important source of omega 3, 6, and 9 and can help reduce the amount of triglycerides and other fats produced in the liver, among others. The world is now significantly more conscious of the importance of strengthening our immune systems, leading a healthy lifestyle, and adopting a preventive attitude. Superfoods are a key part of our overall health and well-being. Our brand Super Foods Peru seeks to contribute to a healthy lifestyle and plays an important role in promoting our exports, as well as connecting with our international audience. A clear example of this is the Program of Licensees of Country Brand and Sectorial Brands that PROMPERÚ has created, where we invite international companies and international brands that commercialize Peruvian products around the world to use our sectorial brands in their products; we invite those interested in licensing the use of these sectorial brands to connect with us via marcapais@promperu.gob.pe.
Hosted some 3,000 virtual business meetings between exporters and international buyers in 2020
Peru holds Safe Travels certification from The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)
What are PROMPERÚ’s priorities and goals for 2021?
Our purpose is to significantly contribute to the recovery of exports, tourism, and business investments to generate employment that Peru needs and to promote our exportable offer, magnificent experiences in tourism, and investment opportunities in our country for our business partners. Peru continues to be a leader in high-end tourism due to its unique cultural heritage, biodiversity and gastronomy, as well as its geographical conditions, being an Amazonian and sustainable country. Companies and financial groups from abroad are increasingly interested in our exportable offers and motivating business investment opportunities. In 2021, the year of the Bicentennial of Peru, we want to ensure biosecurity in our cities for national and international tourism, promote the perception of Peru as a destination for foreign direct investment, and be the Best Agency in Latin America for UN’s International Trade Center’s TPO Benchmark.