Peru declared a state of emergency on Saturday in its critical tourism industry, which has been crushed by COVID-19.

The country went from receiving 4.4 million foreign visitors in 2019 to 900,000 a year later, then to just 400,000 in 2021, according to official data.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism is expected to approve a plan within 15 days that includes financial rescue measures and tourism promotion investment.