BIG Changes to Machu Picchu’s Visitor’s Rules Coming Soon
Machu Picchu is considered the crown jewel of Peru’s many breathtaking tourist attractions, but as a result of its popularity the site has suffered considerable damage. For decades, visitors wandered freely among the ruins, spending the entire day to daydream among its structures and trails, doing yoga and meditating atop the terraces and Huayna Picchu Peak, and taking all the time and photos that they desired. Unfortunately, with so many visitors, this approach is no longer feasible. Areas of the sanctuary have become more restricted in recent years, and slowly more order has been imposed.
To preserve the site limit the damage, the Peruvian Ministry of Culture is considering drastic changes to its visitor’s rules. According to the current draft of the Regulations of Sustainable Use and Touristic Visits for the Conservation of the Inca City of Machu Picchu, soon
- all foreign visitors will be required
to hire an official guide, follow three predetermined routes, and observe time limits of 3 to five minutes at specific points of interest (such as the Intihuatana solar clock, the Temple of the Condor, the Water Mirrors, and the Temple of the Sun). - no groups will be permitted to exceed 20 people, and members will be prohibited from diverting to another group or guide
- guides must be uniformed, with clearly visible credentials
- visitors might be required to wear what’s being referred to as “appropriate, soft-soled shoes”, so trekkers might need to bring a spare pair!
The following activities will be prohibited:
- using aerosol sprays that release repellents, cologne, sunblock, etc
- consuming food and alcohol; climbing and touching the walls
- smoking
- nudity
- bringing in pets
- paragliding
- launching aircraft without prior authorization
- carrying backpacks with a capacity exceeding 20 liters or 6 kilos (13 lbs) or oversized umbrellas
- selling products within the citadel
- filming footage for the purpose of marketing consumer products
- and distorting the “sacredness of the Inca citadel” with fashion shows, dance exhibitions, social events, etc.
Obviously, these new guidelines will mainly affect the independent travelers, who wish to experience the site on their own terms. For some, however, the changes will come not a moment too soon. Last year, the president of the Association of Cusco Tour Agencies, publicly blasted the Ministry of Culture for dragging its feet on implementing new regulations, saying “it seems like they want it all to collapse.”
In 2011, UNESCO and the Peruvian agency agreed to limit the average daily number of visitors at Machu Picchu to 2,500 people, but the number of visitors to Machu Picchu have far exceeded the limit. In 2012, it surpassed one million tourists for the first time ever, and last year climbed up to 1.2 million- a heavy load for a site that is reportedly sinking.