Peru releases Machu Picchu master plan

Peru releases Machu Picchu master plan
2 June 2005

LIMA, Peru (AP) - Peru's National Institute of Culture released a 10-year master plan Thursday aimed at conserving the ruins of Machu Picchu, where heavy tourism and uncontrolled nearby development have endangered the "Lost City of the Incas."

Last year, UNESCO threatened to place Machu Picchu, Peru's prime tourist destination, on its list of endangered cultural heritage sites.

Among other measures, the plan calls for increasing the entry fee for foreigners from US$20 to US$30 (euro16 to 24), limiting the daily maximum number of tourists to 2,500 and launching conservation measures to protect other ruins, wildlife and fauna along the Inca Trail.

UNESCO added Machu Picchu, located atop a craggy peak amid jungle in Peru's southern Andes some 500 kilometers (310 miles) southeast of Lima, to its World Heritage List in 1983.

In 1992, 9,000 tourists visited the ruins. In 2002, the figure rose to 150,000, according to the document's executive summary.

"It is estimated that in a few short years, demand could increase to 4,000 or 5,000 tourists daily," the document stated.

UNESCO criticized Peru for the absence of urban planning in nearby Aguas Calientes, a chaotic, ramshackle town and tourist trap where trains unload visitors onto buses to ascend the mountain to Machu Picchu.

The town's precarious location -- much of it within the protected sanctuary -- has proven dangerous. Last year, a mudslide triggered by heavy rains wiped out several buildings, killing a dozen townspeople.

The master plan calls for incentive programs "to relocate people who have occupied the protected area."

It also mentioned promoting other Inca ruins and trails in the area, offering "activities for visitors based on Andean rituals related to the cycles of the sun," which was worshipped by the Inca culture.

Even before its release, the plan has faced stiff resistance from local residents who oppose the creation of any new government controls to oversee national heritage sites.

Last month, some 1,000 visitors were forced to cancel or postpone trips to the citadel because train service from Cuzco was suspended due to a protest in the area.>