America's specialist tour operator for 18-38-year olds, TrekAmerica, has today announced a 139% increase in bookings on their South and Central America '100% Adventure' tours. trekamerica.co.uk

South and Central America bookings are up 162% year on year (PAX) and 172% year on year (revenue) with the biggest growth seen in bookings on the Inca Explorer, Southern Cross and Northern Peru and Ecuador tours. The 9-day Mexican BLT tour, which follows the ancient trade routes through tropical rainforests and unique architecture, is one of TrekAmerica's longest standing tours but remains the most popular.

The FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games firmly placed these Latin American countries in the 'must-see' category for many British travellers. The 2016 LATA (Latin America Travel Association) Travel Trends Report projected that in the next 10 years, international visitor numbers are set to rise more than 26 million to 66.4 million by 2025, increasing 5.3% year on year. The travel trends report also detailed that 35-44-year olds are most likely to travel on these tours.

Direct routes from the UK added in the last few years, such as British Airways' direct flights to Lima, Peru, and San Jose, Costa Rica, has meant the region has become much more accessible to British travellers.

Richard Hanson, Managing Director of TrekAmerica, said: “We are delighted by the growth to South and Central America that we have witnessed in the last year. We were expecting these tours to be extremely popular following the Olympics but to be 139% year or year only emphasises the appeal of this beautiful and unspoilt part of the world to our adventurous travellers.”

“The best time of the year to travel to this region is December to May and we have a variety of options available. We added two new tours for 2017 – Lima to Santiago BOLT and Rio to Andes - and are looking to add more adventures to our collection soon”, Hanson added.

Top selling Central and South America TrekAmerica tours

Mexican BLT – Original (eight nights hotel accommodation: Cancun, Mexico to Cancun, Mexico – from £1049pp) Trek's most popular tour traces the routes of Mayan Civilisation through tropical jungles and UNESCO World Heritage sites. Highlights include Temple of the Inscriptions, Lagoon of the Seven Colours, vibrant waterfalls, local markets, and delicious Mexican cuisines.

Northern Peru and Ecuador – Overland (14 days, camping, budget lodging and hotels: Quito, Ecuador to Lima, Peru – from £769pp) This tour combines two countries, and really takes visitors off the beaten track to explore Ecuador, the Andes and Northern Peru. Following the coastline south from Quito, all the way down to the fabled city of Lima, this tour is an exciting blend of bustling cities, colourful markets, beach time, epic hiking trails and plenty of high-adrenaline adventure.

Inca Explorer – Overland (21 days, camping, budget lodging and hotels: Lima, Peru to La Paz, Bolivia – from £1,119pp) Discover all the highlights of Peru on this epic adventure – sand board in the desert, fly over the mysterious Nazca lines and experience an overnight homestay on the islands of Lake Titicaca. Continue through the incredible Amazon Jungle, before topping it all off by following in the footsteps of the Incas and hiking the Inca Trail to spectacular Machu Picchu.

Southern Cross – Overland (49 days, camping, budget lodging and hotels: Lima, Peru to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – from £3,069pp)

Starting from the peaks of the Andes to vibrant Rio, this is one stunning coast-to-coast adventure across four Latin American countries! Enjoy ancient Inca Empire ruins, stay on Lake Titicaca, visit Nazca – famous for it's mysterious ancient lines, witness the world's largest salt flats, discover amazing Argentina, visit the mighty Iguazu Falls and chill on golden Brazilian beaches. 

To book or for terms and conditions visit https://www.trekamerica.co.uk or call 0333 003 2051.

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For more information, high res images or press trip enquiries – please contact WixHill: dani@wixhill.co.uk / louise@wixhill.co.uk 01483 203992

About TrekAmerica: 

• Over 40 years' experience showing groups of travellers the USA, Canada, Alaska and Central America
• Over 70 tours to choose from, ranging from 3 to 75 days, across all 50 of the United States, Canada, Central and South America.
• Groups of like minded 18-38 year olds with no single supplements
• Low deposits
• ABTA and ATOL protected