Peru announces that tickets to Machu Picchu are sold out

Peru announced on Wednesday that tickets to enter its most important tourist jewel, the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, were sold out until August 19, after crowds and complaints from dissatisfied visitors for not being able to enter since the beginning of the week.

The Ministry of Culture advised in a statement not to “let yourself be surprised with non-existent offers and avoid unnecessary crowds” due to misinformation, and recommended buying packages of insured entrance tickets to Machu Picchu, which are personal and non-transferable.

Hundreds of tourists blocked a train track near Machu Picchu in protest because tickets to enter the archaeological site had been sold out since the beginning of the week.

The maximum capacity allowed to enter the stone citadel is 4,044 visits per day, but tourist companies often encourage visitors to travel by train from Cusco to Machu Picchu in the hope of finding a ticket.

In mid-July, the government increased the daily admission to Machu Picchu from 3,044 visitors to 4,044. However, this increase has not been enough to satisfy the arrival of tourists, which is detrimental to the conservation of the archaeological site in accordance with the recommendations of UNESCO that considers the site a World Heritage Site.

Archaeologists working in Machu Picchu told The Associated Press in 2020 that according to their studies it is estimated that a maximum of 410 people lived in the citadel in the 15th century, so the massive influx of visitors could be detrimental to its conservation. .

The Inca citadel was built in the 15th century as a religious sanctuary for the Incas and is located in the Amazon region of southeastern Peru at 2,490 meters above sea level.

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