Machu Picchu is arguably South America's top draw for foreign tourists. If access remains disrupted for some time, many international visitors may cancel future trips as a precaution.
With over 25,000 miles of Inca Main Road to explore, alternative routes to the world-famous Machu Picchu Inca citadel trek are being scouted. And it's long overdue.
The civil unrest has delivered a serious blow to the recovery of Peru's tourism sector. Tourism officials need to counter the negative publicity — especially around Machu Picchu — to reassure aspiring tourists of the country's safety. They also need to nudge government officials to resolve the crisis.
Peru has done a lot in terms of diversifying its tourism industry, but a stronger emphasis on a unified vision for tourism is still needed. If governments don’t start prioritizing tourism — which has far-reaching impacts on other industries, the environment, and the lives of locals — we’re going to lose critical parts of history that help explain who we are and how we got here.
Overcrowding is one of the biggest issues plaguing destinations. Here I outline a smart new way to allow free-market forces to not only limit overcrowding, but spread out the visitors and help fill the off-peak dates.
The U.S. issued an emergency message for citizens at the same time it issued the ban, but the difference in severity of the two messages highlights the department’s protocol for leaving travel decisions ultimately in the hand of the individuals.