Skechers Cusco Campaign Steps In as Peru Arrivals Dip

Peru

A Skechers Cusco Campaign is doing the work Peru’s tourism authorities are not – marketing the Andes as an adventure destination while official Machu Picchu arrivals slide. The footwear brand released its ‘Sports Adventure’ campaign on 18 July 2026, built around the concept ‘Where Comfort Meets Adventure’, with actor Andrés Wiese and content creator Ximena Cano trekking through Cusco, Ica and Tarapoto. Several Peruvian outlets framed the push as a generic tourism promotion without naming Skechers, but no government entity – not PromPeru, not Mincetur, not the regional government – is behind it. The campaign lands at an awkward moment: Machu Picchu welcomed 265,326 visitors in the first quarter of 2026, a drop of 9.6% compared with the same period last year, and a new ticket rule now forces in-person buyers to wait up to three days in Aguas Calientes for their entry slot.

A Footwear Brand, Not a Tourism Board

International readers scanning Peruvian headlines in late July 2026 could be forgiven for thinking the government had finally launched a big adventure-tourism push. El Comercio and Infobae both ran stories about Andrés Wiese filming in Cusco to promote adventure travel, without naming the brand that paid for it. The reality is different: the campaign belongs entirely to Skechers Peru.

The ‘Sports Adventure’ campaign, built on the tagline ‘Where Comfort Meets Adventure’, is a footwear marketing exercise. Wiese, who has genuine travel credentials as the host of America TV’s ‘ESCapate’ series since 2022, co-stars alongside content creator Ximena Cano. Filming took place primarily in Cusco, with additional shoots in the coastal desert of Ica and the high-jungle city of Tarapoto. The brand released the campaign on 18 July 2026; media pickups on 21 July and 24 July amplified it without always disclosing the commercial nature of the project.

For expats and nomads accustomed to government-funded destination marketing, the absence of PromPeru from this narrative is striking. Peru’s official tourism promotion machinery has been relatively quiet on the adventure front, leaving a gap that a sneaker company has now filled – at least in terms of media attention.

Machu Picchu Numbers: The Slide Continues

The Skechers campaign arrives as the numbers from Peru’s flagship attraction make uncomfortable reading. According to Mincetur data, the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu received 265,326 visitors in the first quarter of 2026. That is 9.6% fewer than Q1 2025 – roughly 28,000 fewer people – and 13.9% below the pre-pandemic benchmark of Q1 2019.

Foreign tourists made up 75.3% of those arrivals, with domestic visitors accounting for just 24.7%. The Cusco region as a whole is performing better: Gercetur, the regional tourism authority, reports approximately 4% growth in the first half of 2026, putting the region on track for roughly 1.5 million visitors this year. That is a solid figure, but it is a long way from the outdated 3-million-visitor projection that still circulates in some English-language planning guides.

The capacity picture has also shifted. From 19 June 2026, a Ministerial Resolution (285-2025-MC) raised the daily limit to 5,600 visitors, up from 4,600 – but only for the peak window running 19 June to 2 November, plus 30 and 31 December. Outside those dates, the official number is less clear, with conflicting figures in circulation. Travelers should check the official platform tuboleto.cultura.pe for their specific date.

The Three-Day Wait: What the Ticket Rule Change Means in Practice

The most consequential change for independent travelers arrived around 26 July 2026, when the Cusco Decentralised Directorate of Culture – the regional arm of Peru’s culture ministry that runs the site – altered how walk-up tickets are sold. In-person ticket buyers in Machu Picchu Pueblo – the town most visitors know as Aguas Calientes – can now only purchase entry tickets up to three days in advance. In practice, this means a traveler arriving without a pre-booked online ticket may have to wait up to three full days in the town before their assigned entry slot.

This is not a minor inconvenience. Aguas Calientes is a small, expensive town with little to do beyond eating, sleeping and visiting the hot springs. A three-day wait adds hundreds of soles in accommodation and meal costs. Of the 5,600 daily capacity during peak season, 1,000 tickets are reserved for in-person sales at the Ministerio de Cultura office in town; the remaining 4,600 are sold online through tuboleto.cultura.pe. At an exchange rate of PEN 3.39 to the US dollar, a last-minute Aguas Calientes hostel dorm bed runs roughly PEN 40-60 (US$12-18) per night, while a basic private room starts around PEN 120 (US$35). Three unplanned nights can easily add US$100-150 to a trip.

The takeaway for expats and nomads planning a Cusco visit is unambiguous: book your Machu Picchu ticket online before you leave home. The in-person queue is no longer a same-day fallback; it is a multi-day commitment.

Who Is Andrés Wiese and Why Does He Matter for Tourism?

International readers may not recognize Andrés Wiese, but he is a familiar face in Peruvian television and has built separate, legitimate tourism credibility. Since 2022 he has fronted ‘ESCapate’, a travel series on America TV that takes him to destinations across Peru. That show, not the Skechers campaign, is what gives him standing as a travel personality.

In the ‘Sports Adventure’ campaign, Wiese and Ximena Cano are shown on adventure routes, trails and Andean landscapes in Cusco, with contrasting footage from the dunes of Ica and the lush surroundings of Tarapoto. The production emphasizes movement and outdoor activity – a natural fit for a footwear brand selling performance and comfort. For Skechers Peru, the association with Wiese borrows his travel-host credibility; for Wiese, the campaign extends his personal brand as an adventure-travel advocate. It is a commercial arrangement that happens to look, on screen, a lot like a tourism-board spot.

What This Means for Expats and Nomads in Peru

The Skechers campaign is a reminder that destination marketing in Peru does not always come from the expected sources. For foreigners living in or passing through the country, the practical implications are twofold.

First, do not assume that glossy adventure imagery in the media signals a government-backed tourism push. Check who is behind the content – in this case, a footwear company with no role in infrastructure, permits or visitor services. Second, the Machu Picchu ticket situation has changed in ways that directly affect spontaneous travel. The three-day in-person wait, combined with falling but still significant visitor numbers, means advance planning is more important than it was even a year ago.

Cusco remains one of South America’s great travel hubs, and the roughly 4% regional tourism growth in early 2026 suggests the Sacred Valley is holding its own. But the days of rolling into Aguas Calientes and walking up to buy a next-day ticket are, for now, over. Book online, pack comfortable shoes – Skechers or otherwise – and give yourself a buffer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Andrés Wiese adventure campaign a Peruvian government tourism promotion?

No. It is a Skechers Peru footwear campaign called ‘Sports Adventure’, under the concept ‘Where Comfort Meets Adventure’. No government entity – not PromPeru, Mincetur or the Cusco regional government – is involved.

How long do I have to wait for a Machu Picchu ticket if I buy it in person in Aguas Calientes?

Since approximately 26 July 2026, in-person buyers in Machu Picchu Pueblo can only purchase tickets up to three days in advance. In practice, you may need to wait up to three days in town for your assigned entry slot. Only 1,000 of the 5,600 daily peak-season tickets are sold in person; the rest are online via tuboleto.cultura.pe.

How many visitors did Machu Picchu receive in early 2026?

The site recorded 265,326 visitors in Q1 2026, down 9.6% year-on-year and 13.9% below Q1 2019. Foreign tourists accounted for 75.3% of arrivals. The Cusco region overall saw about 4% growth in H1 2026 and is on track for roughly 1.5 million visitors this year.

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