Photo courtesy of Humberto Valdivia

UNESCO and Peru’s National Institute of Culture (INC) once again find themselves at odds with Peru’s private tourism sector over how many tourists should be allowed to enter Machu Picchu.

Carlos Canales, president of Peru’s National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur), is calling into question the technical basis that the INC used for setting that limit at 2,500 visitors per day and advocates doubling the figure.

The INC’s study “was not prepared by specialists,” Canales contended in Monday’s edition of Peru’s main business daily Gestión. “Nor have international methodologies been used to measure the environmental impact and the burden caused by the number of visitors.”

“You can distribute the number of tourist routes into the sanctuary and you could easily double the amount estimated by the INC and reach up to 5,000 visitors a day,” Canales said in a statement on Canatur’s Web site.

“Nobody wants to overburden our patrimony. No one wants to saturate the destination,” he added. ” But nor can we restrict the normal, sustainable and orderly growth that Cusco and Machu Picchu should have.”

But conservationists fear the wild upswing in the number of visitors to Machu Picchu over the last two decades has been anything but normal, sustainable and orderly.

The sharp rise in visitors to Machu Picchu is the stuff of an Al Gore slide presentation. Click on Image to view the graph.

In 1980, Machu Picchu received 145,566 visitors. By 2000, that figure surpassed 420,000, and by 2008 it had doubled, reaching an all-time high of 858,211, according to INC figures. Last year, there was a slight decrease in the number of visitors — 815,268, representing a 6 percent dip — due to the world economic crisis.

National Institute of Culture’s Response:

Juan Julio Garcia, regional director of the INC, told Andina news agency that the current carrying capacity limit is not only contained in the Master Plan for Machu Picchu but is also based on technical studies carried out between 2002 and 2005 to support its implementation.

The UNESCO-sponsored Master Plan for Machu Picchu called for no more than 917 visitors per day – and no more than 385 visitors at any one time – while the INC has recommended a maximum carrying capacity of 2,000 visitors. Peru’s central government advocated in 2002 for 3,400, and the parties settled in 2008 on a daily limit of 2,500 visitors.

“One possibility would involve amendments to redo the study,” Garcia said. “To date, there has arisen no technical proposal of this nature and our party is not planning to make that assessment.”

“We are now in full implementation of the Master Plan. There are a number of points included in that and it would be hasty to speak now of a higher capacity versions of visitors,” Garcia concluded.

Where President Alan García’s administration stands:

Peruvian Tourism Minister Martín Pérez is walking a fine line between the two positions. He told state news agency Andina that the government plans to create “two or three new routes to enter and exit Machu Picchu,” but without causing problems to the Inca citadel.

“There is no real technical study on how many people can get to Machu Picchu,” he said. “However, we do have a consensus that it could be around 2,500 tourists a day.”

A satisfied client of Fertur Peru Travel takes in the amazing view of Machu Picchu from atop Huayna Picchu. Only 400 visitors per day are permitted to climb to the peak. Photo courtesy of Will Skelton.

Pérez said there are different types of tourists coming to visit the Inca sanctuary. Some are only interested in a one-hour tour, while  others spend 1½  hours, and other tourists, who are more demanding, want to explore as much of the site as possible. Four hundred visitors per day are permitted to climb the adjacent peak of Huayna Picchu, which typically requires three hours.

The different entrance points and tours through the site could come with different ticket prices, he said, adding that the development of these alternative routes would ultimately help to conserve the monument.

Gestión Editorial: Machu Picchu, investment and preservation

Published Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010

The debate between employers and the National Institute of Culture (INC) over the limit of daily visits to the sanctuary of Machu Picchu is an opportunity to take this issue by the horns.

Animosity by the business sector is understandable when it comes to the application of a limit (set at 2,500 by the INC), especially if it could jeopardize investments in recent years to meet demand. On the other hand, it is also reasonable that the INC and international organizations expressed their concern about the possibility of damage to the shrine due to overexploitation.

Fortunately, everyone agrees to preserve Machu Picchu, because otherwise this World Heritage site might end up being included on the list of endangered monuments and the tour circuit would, thus end up killing the “goose that lays the golden eggs.”

In fact, there is no reason why private investment should be incompatible with the preservation of archaeological monuments in general, and the sanctuary of Machu Picchu, particularly if the business involves proper use and, above all, the sustainability of the monument.

This requires a system and an optimal management plan, and strong and independent institutions to effectively enforce rules governing visits, as is done today in the world with many similar archaeological monuments.

For now, the INC must share the technical study that supports the current limits on visitors (the Minister of Trade and Tourism says it has not had access to it) and if this is not optimal, we must charge international experts with the implementation of a new one, which must not only scientifically support a set limit on visitors, but also offer technical recommendations for optimal management of them, considering access, shift schedules and types of tourism.

The study should involve organizations such as UNESCO, the ministries of Trade and Tourism and Institute of Culture, and even representatives of the tourism industry. And since Machu Picchu is an ecological park, facing other threats (solid waste, landslides and mudslides, introduction of exotic plants, changes caused by the power plant, among others), it would also be advisable to involve the Ministry of Environment.

Monica is also an extremely accomplished photographer, which is how we learned about her under very awkward and contrite circumstances. She complained that a Peruvian Travel Trends video featured her photos of Hualhuas, Huancayo, without having first obtained her permission or identifying her as the creator of the images.

This is very embarrassing for Fertur Peru Travel, as it should be. And even though Monica — who was very gracious in her message to us — asked only that we credit her photos, we want to take it a step further and offer her our sincerest apologies.

Rick Vecchio
Director Development & Marketing
Fertur Peru Travel

Sustainable tourism student Yaneth Cisneros will also offer a presentation on her recent pilgrimage to Ayacucho, the birthplace of her parents, who migrated to Lima in the 1980s to escape political violence.  What she discovered there will inspire you.

Wednesday, September 8, 6:30 – 8:00 pm

BEYOND THE GUIDEBOOKS: JOURNEY TO AYACUCHO
With photos and video clips from a new film-in-progress about Scissors Dancers

South American Explorers Club
Calle Piura 135, Miraflores
Free to members, $1 or 3 soles for public

Ayacucho is a remarkable region in the Andes, yet rarely visited by tourists. Tonight, a report from two long-time friends of the Club:

Part I:  Northern Ayacucho
Sustainable tourism student Yaneth Cisneros returned to the birthplace of her parents after 13 years. She traveled to Huananga, Pampa de la Quinua and Cangallo to reconnect with a traditional way of life still alive in the 21st century.

Part II:  Southern Ayacucho
Filmmaker Mitch Teplitsky (“Soy Andina”) is back from Andamarca and Puqio, shooting footage of Scissors Dancers at the annual Fiesta de Agua. It’s the first stage of a new movie, in partnership with Peruvian filmmaker Gaby Yepes (who will also be in attendance).

More info:  Events Coordinator Nicole Ackerman, nacker136@gmail.com

The answer are a bevy of white sand beach towns and archaeological complexes that surround Peru’s Northern coast cities of Trujillo and Chiclayo.

Peru’s Foreign Trade and Tourism Ministry, along with PromPeru and leaders in Peru’s travel industry are working together to put  Chan Chan and Tschudi, El Brujo and the Temples of the Sun and Moon where they rightfully belong, on par with Machu Picchu, and even the pyramids of Egypt.

To make this plan a reality, Peru has announced it will invest 1,168,698,274 soles, or more than $417 million, over the next two years to improve roads, construct new luxury hotels and develop archaeological sites into self-sustaining tourist attractions.

The goal is to make this “Moche Trail” into the second most visited tourist route after Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.

The National Engineering University (UNI) is sponsoring scientific gatherings to take place Aug. 23 in Lima  and Aug. 25 in Cusco. Radio communication with the cosmonauts is scheduled for Aug. 26.

The goal of  this scientific Congress is to attract the participation of academic and scientific institutions on a national and international level to contribute to the development of the first Peruvian nanosatellite.

The International Space Station is a multi-national research center that orbits Earth at an altitude of between 173 and 286 miles (278-460 Kms), and an average speed of 17,227 per hour (27,724 Kph).

UNI is  organizing the event in partnership with Southwest State University in Russia (UESOR). Cosmonauts Aleksandr Fyodorovich and Lazutkin Poleshchuk Aleksander Ivanovich, of the Russian Federal Space Agency, will converse during the conference with Peruvian scientists.

UNI is developing the first Peruvian nanosatellite called “Chasqui I” to be sent into space soon.

Price per person: $1,705 (Based on double room occupancy)

Click to read detailed Peru Tour itinerary and to contact us

Hotel Monasterio

A top luxury vacation with Orient Express and Fertur Peru Travel.
Spend your nights relaxing in two of the finest, most exclusive hotels that Cusco has to offer, at a great price. Discover and learn about the historic city of Cusco and its archaeological ruins. Travel in comfort aboard the PeruRail Andean Explorer train from Piscacucho (Km 82) to Aguas Calientes and then up to the mountaintop to explore the mystic grounds of Machu Picchu.  (Valid May 1 thru June 30, 2010. Subject to availability)

In the Inca Capital of Cusco:

Special Service on PeruRail's Andean Explorer Train

• The Cathedral
• The ruins of Koricancha (or Temple of the Sun), which was looted and razed by the Spanish, who used its massive foundatiuon to construct the Santo Domingo Church
• Sacsayhuaman
• Kenko
• Puca Pucara
• Tampumachay.

On the journey to Machu Picchu:

Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge ~ the only choice of accommodation at Machu Picchu itself

• Aluminum water bottle.
• Local dance welcomes travelers at Wanchaq Station; private waiting room.
• Soft drinks (coffee, tea, fresh juice, pastries) at Wanchaq Station.
• Private bus transfer to Piscacucho (km82) to board PeruRail train to Machu Picchu, On-board escort.
• Light snack on board the bus.
• Refreshing towels upon arrival in Piscacucho.
• Snack on board the train.
• Round trip bus transfer to the Machu Picchu citadel.
• Buffet brunch at Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge upon arrival.
• Admission ticket to Machu Picchu citadel.
• Guided visit (3hs) in Machu Picchu citadel – 1 guide per each 14 passengers.
• Cheese & wine on the return train to Piscacucho.
• Private bus transfer to Wanchaq Station (Cusco), light snack on board.

Lounge by the semi-Olympic sized pool surrounded by idyllic red-tile roofed cabins.  The setting is Peru’s northern cloud forest. Explore 51 acres of Puerto Palmeras’ lush green grounds over bike trails or on horseback. Play pool, tennis, basketball or volleyball. Take a day trip with your English-speaking guide to the magnificent Ahuashiyaku waterfall. This is one jungle destination designed for relaxation.

Price per person:

• Standard Double Room US$329
• Superior Double Room US$349
• Matrimonial Room with Jacuzzi US$380
• Children with additional bed US$275

Includes:

• Roundtrip airfare on Star Perú Lima–Tarapoto-Lima
• Reception at Tarapoto Airport
• Transfer Tarapoto Airport – Las Palmeras Resort Hotel – Airport
• Welcome at hotel with refreshing coconut drink
• 2 nights accommodation in Puerto Palmeras.
• 02 breakfasts / 02 lunches
• Excursion with English-speaking guide to the Ahuashiyaku Waterfall
• Free use of Puerto Palmeras’ facilities within its beautiful 51-acre (21-hectare) property, including bicycle riding, horseback riding, swimming pool, games room, handball, volleyball, tennis and basketball courts, etc.

Not Included:

• Airport Tax
• Drinks or meals not described in itinerary
• Tips

Valid from April 15 through July 15, 2010. Subject to Availability.

Contact us for more information:

Susan Sarandon added a big dose of Hollywood sparkle last week to the reopening ceremony of Peru’s crown jewel, Machu Picchu. Peru would be well served to apply such Tinsel Town treatment to its other historic attractions.

Against the iconic backdrop of Inca Pachacuti’s 15th century citadel, the Academy Award winning actress posed with Andean children in traditional dress. The Huayna Picchu peek loomed in the distance. The photo-op was a unmitigated success, announcing to the world that Peru’s most popular tourist attraction was again open for business, two months after torrential rains and landslides wiped out train access to the mountaintop shrine.

A battalion of reporters and paparazzi managed to stay mostly on message, asking Sarandon repeatedly what she thought of Machu Picchu — as opposed to probing personal questions about her recent separation from Tim Robbins.

“I had no idea there were so many journalists at Machu Picchu,” joked Sarandon, who was flanked by a U.S. Embassy bodyguard and Peruvian Tourism Minister Martín Pérez. “Oh, (this is) just for me? I though it was like this all the time. So I guess that means maybe I’ll have to see Machu Picchu when you all go and then I’ll have a better idea of what it’s like.”

Inviting Sarandon was a brilliant how-to in “top-down promotion” for Peru’s tourism industry, wrote newspaper columnist Juan Paredes Castro in Sunday’s El Comercio. He posed the question: “How many Susan Sarandons does Peru need?”

Paredes wasn’t talking about recruiting more movie stars to sell Machu Picchu as one of the seven wonders of the world. If anything the mountain-ringed Inca sanctuary has been oversold to the point of peril.

He was referring to the larger, and ever-nagging question: When are Peru’s central, regional and local governments going to invest in preserving and promoting the scores of lesser known, but nonetheless equally important, archaeological monuments as sustainable tourist destinations?

When will road and air routes to Kuelap, Choquequirao, Chavin de Huantar, Pativilca, Vilcashuaman and Caral — just to name a few — be established to offer suitable alternatives to take some of the pressure off the beleaguered Machu Picchu?

Click here to read the full article in the Peruvian Times!

During the months of April and May, transportation must be arranged privately or through your travel agency.

Given the conditions of the narrow, unpaved road, an official timetable has been created to help control traffic flow in and out of the village of Piscacucho. Traffic control will be handled by Peruvian National Police, but conditions are such that some tie-ups are likely, so give yourself plenty of time to make your scheduled train departure.

Peru’s famous Inca citadel Machu Picchu reopened to tourists on Thursday after closing in late January due to flooding and mudslides that washed away large portions of the rail line leading to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

According to daily La República, Edgar Miranda, the mayor of Aguas Calientes – the town that sites below Machu Picchu – said that dancing groups and musicians dressed in traditional clothes greeted some 900 tourists who arrived at the towns train station. By the end of the day, more than 1,200 tourists visited the ruins, according to Andina correspondent Percy Hurtado Santillán.

Among the first wave of tourists during Machu Picchu’s much anticipated reopening was Hollywood star Susan Sarandon, who was decorated with the Order of Sun medallion, state news agency Andina reported.

Peru’s National Institute of Culture (INC) is rationing entrance tickets to Machu Picchu to ensure the Inca citadel isn’t inundated by visitors. The INC said tourists could only purchase the tickets in Cuzco and that anyone wishing to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu would have to show they have a return ticket and confirmed seat on the train from Aguas Calientes to the train station at Piscacucho.

Current access to Machu Picchu is done by traveling by road from Cuzco or Ollantaytambo to Piscacucho at Km82, where tourists can board a train to Aguas Calientes at Km110.

Click here to read full article!