Peruvian Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Mathews has estimated that the online sale of tickets to get into the Inca citadel of Machupicchu is likely to begin in December this year.
In statements to the press, the minister pointed out that this will depend on the negotiations held at the Machupicchu Management Unit (UGM).
“We held a meeting yesterday (November 7), and the date has not been determined yet. It is being discussed by the Management Unit, which will be in session again next December, probably in the first week, in which this issue has to be decided,” he emphasized.
“The online sale doesn’t necessarily have to start next year. If the decision is made in December, the sale might start immediately,” the government official stated.
In this regard, Mathews underscored that the electronic sale will reorganize the access to this wonder of the world, which will result in higher visits to the country.
“If I am in the UK, and I am planning to visit Peru with my family, I just want to be sure that I will get into Machupicchu since the moment I get the ticket; I don’t want to come and queue to see if there are tickets or not,” he remarked.
“You cannot encourage tourists to come to wait in queues for 24 or 48 hours. This process can get more organized through online sale and keeps everything transparent,” the Cabinet member explained.
In this regard, he affirmed that his sector has been working to increase the flow of tourists without affecting Machupicchu’s ecosystem and observing UNESCO’s recommendations.
“The document issued by UNESCO states that the permitted capacity is 4,044 visitors per day, but if we look at the document, it is actually 4,044 visitors at the same time, which means that the visitor capacity is dynamic and time slots are allowed; for example, visitor shifts of two or three hours can be established with bracelets. A 14-hour visit to Machupicchu is not mandatory,” the minister added.