The ancient Inca stronghold of Machu Picchu, the pearl of Peruvian tourism, will be reopened to visitors in July, but their number will be drastically reduced due to the need for social distancing and other measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
According to the governor of the Cusco region, Jean Paul Benavente, only 675 guests will be allowed to visit it per day - a quarter of the usual number, while guides can lead groups of no more than seven people, and all of them must wear masks. At the same time, Peruvian tourists will be the first visitors after the opening.
The exact date of the opening for foreign travelers of one of the most mysterious and majestic attractions in South America, which is included in the list of New Wonders of the World, remains unknown.
Machu Picchu, which began to function as a grandiose museum complex of archaeological groups in 1948, was last closed to visitors in 2010 after a flood that damaged the access railway. Before the pandemic, the legendary city in the heart of the Andes at an altitude of 2400 m was visited by an average of 2-3 thousand people a day, during the high season - more than 5 thousand.
The pandemic caused the collapse of the tourism industry in Peru: according to Prime Minister Vicente Zeballos, this year the loss totalled $ 3.3 billion.
