Peru has relaxed restrictions on the entry of tourists to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu and increased by almost 50% the daily capacity to 5,600 people, in an attempt to encourage tourism, still badly affected by the pandemic, the government said Saturday.
The new capacity approved by the authorities “is 4,500 visitors and on very specific dates may be increased to 5,600 daily visits, from January 1, 2024,” said in a statement the Ministries of Culture, Tourism and Environment.
To the Inca citadel, jewel in the crown of Peruvian tourism, currently between 3,600 and 3,800 local and foreign tourists arrive daily.
According to the government, “the approved “dynamic capacity” considers the conservation and prevention actions that the Peruvian government has been implementing” based on its commitments with international organizations.
Tourism is key to the Peruvian economy and an important source of employment, which before the pandemic, in 2020, attracted some 4.5 million visitors per year. It is estimated that this year will close with 2.2 million.
Machu Picchu has been a World Heritage Site since 1981.
Last September, Peru temporarily closed three sectors of the Inca citadel due to the wear and tear of its lithic elements due to the high number of visitors, the Ministry of Culture indicated at the time.
The archaeological complex, located 130 kilometers from Cusco, at an altitude of 2,438 meters, was built in the 15th century by order of the Inca Pachacutec (1438-1470), and is considered a masterpiece of architecture and engineering.
Known as “the lost city of the Incas”, it was found in 1911 by the American explorer Hiram Bingham. In the movies, the character of the adventurer Indiana Jones is partially inspired by Bingham.