How price-competitive is Peruvian gastronomy compared to its main Latin American competitors? A quantitative analysis

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to analyze the price competitiveness of Peruvian gastronomy relative to its main Latin American competitors. Leveraging Peru’s growing international reputation as a culinary destination, this study assesses how competitive Peru is in attracting gastronomic tourists compared to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico. Design/methodology/approach – This study compares the cost of baskets of products and services acquired by gastronomic tourists from 15 origin markets who visited Peru. Expenditure data were obtained from PromPerú’s annual survey of international tourists and local price data from the World Bank’s International Comparison Program. Price competitiveness indices were calculated using purchasing power parities adjusted by exchange rates, following Dwyer et al. (2000). Findings – Mexico is the most price-competitive destination for gastronomic tourists, followed by Colombia and Peru. Brazil ranks fourth, largely because of its travel component, while Chile and Argentina are less price-competitive, with Argentina being the least. The findings highlight the combined influence of local prices and travel costs on overall competitiveness. Research limitations/implications – The analysis relies on the expenditure basket of gastronomic tourists visiting Peru because comparable destination-specific baskets are not available. International Comparison Program data primarily reflect household consumption rather than the higher end goods and services typically demanded by gastronomic tourists, which may limit generalizability. Future research should validate these results with more granular, tourism-specific expenditure data and explore complementary approaches to measuring price competitiveness. Originality/value – This paper offers a comparative assessment of gastronomic tourism price competitiveness in Latin America using detailed expenditure data and an established methodological framework. It contributes to understanding how culinary reputation and price structures interact to influence destination competitiveness.