Cusco: what is the risk of increasing the capacity of visits to Machupicchu, the wonder of the world?

Machu Picchu, one of the most important tourist spots in Peru and sixth wonder of the world, will increase its capacity, which will go from 4,044 to 5,600 visitors per day, not including those who access through the Inca Trail in progress.

The decision was approved unanimously and had the approval of the main authorities, such as Juan Carlos Mathews, Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism; Albina Ruíz, head of Environment (Minam); Leslie Urteaga, from the Culture portfolio (Mincul); and Werner Salcedo, regional governor of Cuscoduring the meeting of the Steering Committee of the Management Unit of the Historical Sanctuary of Machu Picchu (UGM), held on November 30.

Warnings

The Inca city was declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 1983; However, in 2017 the same entity warned that it was at serious risk due to the indiscriminate influx of tourists.

For this reason, Peru committed to implementing preservation measures to prevent it from being declared heritage in danger. However, the current announcement would be in breach of these agreements.

For Luis Jaime Castillo, former Minister of Culture, this recent expansion is due to pressure from regional authorities, residents of Machupicchu and businessmen from Aguas Calientes, who seek to increase their income. Many of them have hotels, restaurants and service businesses, benefiting from the influx of tourists.

For Castillo, it is strange that “a new report” was used to appeal for this increase. I don’t know how serious that work is, he questioned.

“Previously, studies have been done that suggested that capacity could be increased depending on a set of works to protect the site, but what has been approved has been done without raising the budget for conservation,” he said in dialogue. with The Republic. Within these works, a visitor center was to be built in the lower part of Macchu Picchu so that it could organize the flow and not agglomerate at critical points. Other accesses and other routes must also be created.

Along these lines, he highlighted that the authority in charge of ensuring the interests of the country’s heritage, such as the Inca citadel, is the Ministry of Culture; However, the position of the current minister is enigmatic, she noted. It seems that interests are taking precedence and not a policy of heritage protection.

John Santos, president of the Cusco Chamber of Commerceagrees that new strategies must be implemented, including the protection of the soil, the care of stone joints and that entry and exit are not the same.

“The increase in capacity and care must go hand in hand, if it is only an increase and there is no budget for preservation, we would be going to destroy. “We want this heritage to last over time,” he told this medium.

“Peru has international commitments that it must maintain to preserve the place. It cannot first increase the number of tourists and then offer changes to improve preservation,” said Luis Castillo Butters, former minister and former vice minister of Culture.

What are the keys to the case?

• Tickets. Starting in December, tickets to the citadel can be reserved through the Mincul website.
• Tourism. Between January and September 2023, there were 413,049 foreign visitors, 53% less than in 2019.