LIMA, PERU-- June 23, 2023 -- For the first time in the history of The World's 50 Best Restaurants, the best restaurant in the world is in Latin America, and it is from Peru. The first place achieved by Central demonstrates that Peruvian gastronomy is positioning itself and empowering in the world. The list also included three other restaurants from the South American country: Maido (ranked 6th), Kjolle (ranked 28th), and Mayta (ranked 47th).

“This is not about being the best, but about loving what you do,” proudly said chef Virgilio Martínez during his acceptance speech at the Palau de les Arts in the Spanish city of Valencia.

Pía León, leader of Kjolle and Martínez's partner and wife, also took the stage to express gratitude for the award. “We have been working very hard. Always looking back, seeing the steps we have taken and reflecting,” she pointed out.

It should be noted that The World's 50 Best Restaurants ranking is a selection created by the British magazine Restaurant in 2002. A panel of over a thousand experts in gastronomy participate in the process through a structured and audited voting system.

GASTRONOMIC TOURISM

PROMPERU promotes Peruvian cuisine as an essential component of the tourism industry. As part of its responsibilities, it seeks to increase the flow of international gastronomic tourism by promoting experiences and tourism products with Peruvian cuisine as a key component.

It is worth mentioning that gastronomy is among the main motivations for foreign tourists to visit Peru. Travelers motivated by its gastronomy have a higher level of expenditure than the average tourist and stay longer in the country.

It is projected that by 2023, Peru will receive around 300,000 foreign tourists who have the motivation to try its gastronomy. These tourists would mainly be millennials (54%) and Generation X (21%) from Latin American countries, as well as from the United States and Spain.