Machu Picchu to reopen soon, but with limited capacity

The Peruvian Government recently announced that Peru's iconic tourist attraction Machu Picchu will reopen again, but at a half capacity. Although no official date has been announced, the popular attraction faced closure to contain the spread of Coronavirus.
As per the announcement, admission to Machu Picchu will be limited to 2244 visitors a day, which is half the number of tourists that were allowed during in the high season.

The international experts suggested this new limit in a bid to avoid the gradual deterioration of the crown jewel of Peruvian tourism, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.
Reportedly, this new limit capacity has nothing to do with the spread coronavirus, and is part of measures that the Culture Ministry was planning on adopt anyway. However, the implementation got postponed due to COVID-19 lockdown.


Latest reports suggest that Machu Picchu used to welcome around 2000 and 3000 visitors a day, which raised to 5000 during the high season. Machu Picchu, which opened to tourists in 1948, was supposed to reopen with a limit of 675 visitors on July 1, however, the said plan was abandoned over fears that it could contribute to Coronavirus infections spreading in the nearby towns.

Peru's borders remained closed for almost four months, as the country has been struggling to contain the Coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 3 lakh people, and killed almost more than ten thousand people.

The Peruvian Government stepped up security at the spot during the lockdown to prevent thefts of archeological treasures.