Over 30,000 tourists expected to attend Peru’s Virgen de la Candelaria festival

More than 30,000 domestic and foreign tourists are expected to visit this year’s edition of the Virgen de la Candelaria festival, which is celebrated in Peru’s southeastern region of Puno for 15 days in February.

Manuel León, head of Puno’s Directorate of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Dircetur), told Andina News Agency the 2014′s celebration is expected to generate around US$ 6.42 million in revenues, while a 15 percent increase in visitors is projected.

There will be a greater presence of domestic tourists attending the activities as the foreign tourists arrivals are in off-season. “Each tourist spend an average of 150 soles (US$ 53.5) per day”, Quiñones said.

The central day of the traditional religious festival takes place on Sunday, February 2, having a mass in honour of the Blessed Virgin of the Candelaria scheduled at 10:00 local time.

Following, the image will roan the main streets of the city of Puno accompanied by worshipers and people dressed to perform native dances.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the famous festivity in honor of the Virgen de la Candelaria and it is possible this traditional celebration could enter the Representative List of the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.