However, conservationists are concerned that a new airport in Cuzco , proposed as a gateway to the Inca Trail, will threaten the preservation of the Unesco World Heritage site.
Peru deports tourists accused of damaging Machu Picchu. Sasha Brady. Get inspired to travel everyday by signing up to our daily newsletter. Dating back to around , the sprawling site is nestled high among the awe-inspiring slopes of the Andes. Such is the significance of the Peruvian icon that the structure and the country have become intertwined — Machu Picchu is a symbol of Peru, a matter of national pride and a site that beckons visitors from all over the globe.
For some time now, Machu Picchu has been suffering under the weight of its own popularity; the foot traffic from the thousands of visitors that stream through the archaeological park each day is doing irreparable damage. And while Machu Picchu brings in hoards of tourists, they often neglect to visit the many other impressive sights that Peru has to offer.
While Machu Picchu brings in hoards of tourists, they often neglect to visit the many other impressive sights that Peru has to offer. Today, tourism accounts for 9. Unsurprisingly, therefore, in the government unveiled plans to double the number of tourists it receives to around seven million by Herein lies the predicament: if Machu Picchu cannot handle any more visitors than it already receives but remains the principal reason so many people travel to Peru, how can the government achieve its plans without compromising the very asset that drives its tourism in the first place?
Crystallising this dilemma is the construction of a highly controversial airport in the picturesque town of Chinchero — the gateway to the Sacred Valley — which began in May. A further upsurge occurred in , when Machu, Picchu was named one of the New7Wonders of the World. According to the Peru Telegraph , fewer than 80, tourists visited Machu Picchu in We have been working with municipalities on job programs for people who have returned, but we think it is going to be temporary.
He stayed in his apartment for two months, figuring the situation would be resolved by mid-year. Tello said goodbye to his wife and twin year old boys in the city of Cusco and headed to the nearby jungle lowlands, where he is from originally, to look for employment. He found a job driving a truck on a highway construction project. He later worked as a toll collector. Tello came back to the city in early December, with two groups of tourists lined up and a few others in the wings.
But he is realistic about his prospects. Sofia Arce, who runs a boutique tourism agency, Intense Peru , said the pandemic is transforming the industry. She worries that many restaurants and hotels catering to tourists could close permanently if Peru tries to simply go back to business as usual.
A former banker, Arce managed through the worst months of the coronavirus crisis with a government-backed loan from the Reactivate Peru program, and has started to rebuild as the country reopens. Peru began allowing international air travel again in October and, in December, reestablished nearly all routes including long-haul flights from Europe and North America. Arce considers these positive steps for tourism, but believes it will take time to get back to pre-pandemic numbers.
The national unemployment rate is Machu Picchu, just starting to recover, was forced to close again briefly in mid-December when communities along the train that ferries tourists to the ruins called a strike and blocked the tracks, demanding lower prices for locals who also use the service.
Explore Peru beyond Machu Picchu via sacred rivers, bike trails, and otherworldly sand hills. She sees the kind of experiential, more sustainable tourism offered in places like Patacancha as part of a trend that was gaining ground prior to the pandemic, with tourists wanting to go beyond observing a culture to experiencing it.
She said the pandemic might even give it a boost. All rights reserved. Travel Coronavirus Coverage. The collapse of tourism brings problems to Machu Picchu As international travel disappeared, hospitality workers in Peru turned to farming and construction. Five of the tourists will be deported, and one man from Argentina will remain in Peru to face charges for "destroying Peru's cultural heritage.
He could be sentenced to four years in prison if convicted. Read more : Naked tourists arrested at Machu Picchu. In , three Argentinians and a Colombian were arrested for painting graffiti on the ancient walls. Every day, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. Visit the new DW website Take a look at the beta version of dw. Go to the new dw.
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