Peruvian entrepreneurs spotlight sustainable growth in tourism and agriculture

Juan Stoessel, founder and CEO of the Casa Andina hotel chain, was awarded the IPAE Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 prize for his role in expanding sustainable tourism across Peru. The award cited his three‑decade career, the development of more than 40 hotels in over 30 locations, and his contributions to promoting Peruvian culture and positioning the country as a world‑class destination.

Meanwhile, Michael Spoor, executive director of Ocho Sur, highlighted the company’s sustainable palm‑oil model in the Peruvian Amazon. Ocho Sur says it has created over 2,000 formal jobs in Ucayali, supported community education and health, and protected more than 2,000 hectares of forest through agreements with indigenous groups. Spoor argued that economic opportunity and forest conservation can be mutually reinforcing and urged broader adoption of responsible tropical agriculture.

Both initiatives underscore a growing emphasis on linking economic development with environmental stewardship in Peru.