Puno Cable Car Aims to Increase Tourist Traffic by More Than 70 Times

Diego Alarcón

By Diego Alarcón

PROINVERSIÓN (the Private Investment Promotion Agency), which is part of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), approved the feasibility of the investment profile for the Cerro Azoguini–Lake Titicaca Cable Car project. This marks another step forward in bringing this tourism project to fruition, which aims to increase the number of visitors to the city of Puno by more than 70 times.

Currently, tourist demand related to the city tour stands at 7,416 visitors per year. With the project’s implementation, it is estimated that this figure will exceed 404,000 visitors per year from the start of operations, reaching more than 530,000 visits after two decades. During that period, the total cumulative number of visits is estimated to exceed 9.4 million.

The announcement of the project’s feasibility comes after PROINVERSIÓN completed the pre-investment studies corresponding to the Formulation phase. This progress validates the project’s technical, economic, and social feasibility, allowing the project to move forward to the structuring phase, during which the analyses will be expanded and the economic and financial structure, risk allocation, and contractual terms will be established for the subsequent bidding process and award.

This announcement was made as part of the launch of the “Puno Brand,” an initiative that brings together culture, cuisine, local production, and regional identity, along with the “4 Routes, One Unique Experience” tourism offering.

“The Puno Cable Car will mean much more than just a tourist attraction: it will be a platform of opportunities for the local population. A greater influx of visitors translates into increased economic activity for hotels, restaurants, transportation providers, artisans, merchants, and entrepreneurs. Investing in this project means investing in the people of Puno and showcasing their cultural and natural wealth to the world,” said Luis Del Carpio, CEO of PROINVERSIÓN.

With an investment of S/ 236.5 million, the project aims to build modern and sustainable infrastructure that will boost tourism, connectivity, and the economy of Puno. According to projections, the increase in visitor arrivals could generate nearly 45,000 jobs in tourism, lodging, gastronomy, and other related services.

The cable car will have a route of approximately 2,020 meters and an estimated travel time of five and a half minutes. The departure station will be located next to Lake Titicaca, connected to the tourist pier, and will feature a sustainable design; the arrival station, on Cerro Azoguini, will serve as a modern observation deck that will include cultural interpretation spaces and rest areas. In addition, 647 meters of pedestrian trails and 1.09 kilometers of roadways will be upgraded, along with environmental mitigation measures.