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On Wednesday, the streets, hotels, and restaurants near Machu Picchu, which is considered Peru’s top tourist destination, were mostly empty due to a protest against the use of a private company for ticket sales. Train service to the area was also suspended.
The recent implementation of a new ticketing system by the Peruvian government has caused concerns among small businesses and workers in the tourism industry. They worry that this system will only benefit large corporations, and their demonstrations have led to a significant decrease in visitor arrivals.
Roger Monzón, a worker at the Inkas Land hotel in Machu Picchu, noted that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are significantly fewer people around. Currently, the 18-room hotel only has two tourists from Portugal staying there.
The train service to the area was halted on Friday night with no set date for resuming, forcing the small number of determined tourists, mostly young individuals, to depart from Cusco in cars that travel 210 kilometers (130 miles) to a hydroelectric plant. From there, they must trek for two hours to reach the Machu Picchu district, where they can take a break. After that, they still have to walk for 2 1/2 hours to reach the stone citadel.
The demonstrations, which started on January 24, are a reaction to the government’s choice to use Joinnus, an online ticket selling platform owned by a wealthy economic group in Peru, for selling tickets to enter Machu Picchu.
In the past, access to Machu Picchu tickets was managed through an online platform run by a government organization based in Cuzco.
The government is utilizing a private platform in order to ensure a transparent process for ticket sales. They have identified a market for the sale of unregistered tickets in 2023, which has resulted in a loss of $1.8 million for tickets that were not reported by state offices.
Workers and small business owners in the tourism industry express their lack of confidence in the new system, arguing that it will unfairly benefit larger companies and harm fair competition for smaller operators.
According to reports, it is believed that there is currently no legal method to ensure the protection of private information collected by the Joinnus platform from tourists, such as phone numbers, emails, and dates of visits to the citadel. There are concerns that this data could potentially be shared with large tourism companies, allowing them to provide pre-arranged accommodations, food, and transportation services to tourists. This could give them an advantage over smaller businesses.
Demonstrators are calling for the elimination of the new system and are also requesting the resignation of Minister of Culture Leslie Urteaga, who approved the alteration of ticketing.
Four countries — the United States, Germany, France and Brazil — have advised their citizens to be cautious if they are planning to visit Machu Picchu, a World Heritage Site since 1983, citing the potential lack of water and other essentials resulting from transport disruptions.
Tourism is the main economic activity in Cusco, with more than 200,000 people having direct jobs in the sector. In times before the protests, up to 4,500 visitors entered Machu Picchu every day.
There are no official figures on potential losses during the first week of protests, but some tourism unions estimate the damage at about $4.7 million.
According to Elena González, president of the Association of Cusco Tourism Agencies, the financial damages encompass various industries closely tied to tourism, including travel agencies, lodging establishments, dining establishments, tour guides, as well as markets, taxi drivers, and rural communities.
Source: independent.co.uk
