Tourists at Machu Picchu Stranded as Protesters Halt Train Services to Iconic Site
Protesters in Peru have obstructed access to Machu Picchu, leaving numerous tourists stranded due to local discontent over a new ticketing system that led to the suspension of rail transport to the iconic heritage site in the Andes.
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Machu Picchu
Train services to the ancient ruins were halted on Saturday due to safety concerns arising from demonstrators blocking the railway line, and as of Monday, travel links had not been restored. The ongoing protests, initiated last week, have impacted hundreds of tourists, preventing them from reaching Machu Picchu.
The dispute adds another setback to Peru’s tourism industry, already grappling with the aftermath of widespread civil unrest last year, particularly in the southern Andean region crucial to the country’s significant copper industry. Roundtable discussions are underway to address the conflict between authorities and protesters who are expressing dissatisfaction with the government’s centralization of ticket sales.
Leslie Urteaga, Peru’s minister of culture, traveled to the region on Sunday, but a resolution to the “indefinite strike” led by travel unions, tour operators, and residents has yet to be announced. Community representatives in Machu Picchu are concerned that the new electronic ticket sales platform will negatively impact local businesses by privatizing sales and channeling profits to a single firm.
Agencies responsible for site care and preservation have warned about overcrowding and oversold tickets, prompting authorities to devise new methods to control visitor numbers as travel rebounds in the post-pandemic era. The government contends that the new ticketing platform, introduced in January, will enhance the management of visitor numbers. Starting this month, daily entries are capped at 4,500, up from 3,800 last year. In September, three areas of Machu Picchu were temporarily closed due to site deterioration caused by heavy visitor volumes.
