Living in Peru : your everyday companion

In the past decade tourist numbers to Peru have doubled, to 1.8m last year, and this year looks like being the busiest yet with visitor arrivals reportedly up a fifth from the same period last year. Machu Picchu, the awesome mountain-top Inca citadel, now draws 800,000 tourists annually.

The boom has sparked warnings from heritage experts that fragile sites are crumbling from the sheer weight. Efforts to direct some of the flow away from Machu Picchu has exposed other sites, such as Choquequirao, the "cradle of gold", which are even less well protected.

Locals have complained that the influx is enriching tour operators and luxury hotels but leaving the impoverished communities who live near the architectural wonders with barely two soles to rub together.

Both concerns are valid. Visitor numbers have leaped ahead of tourist infrastructure, no question. Trains, buses and hotels are typically packed. Arguably Cuzco is nearing saturation point. It has half a dozen luxury hotels and at least another four are on the way.

Lax supervision at some Inca and pre-Inca sites leaves them vulnerable, not least to the moron backpacker who proudly showed me a souvenir chiselled from Machu Picchu. A $4 (£2) Pisco Sour in Cuzco, the jumping off point for the Inca Trail, turns bitter when an urchin with an empty belly tugs at your sleeve.

But these are not reasons for tourists to boycott the South American country. Management of archaeological sites seems to be catching up with the influx. The UN agency Unesco no longer designates Machu Picchu an endangered world heritage site.

The government's strategy of attracting high-spending visitors and promoting lesser-known sites is sensible. Bill Gates, Cameron Diaz and Owen Wilson were recent visitors, helping spread the news that a country once wracked by Maoist guerrillas, hyper-inflation and political chaos is now safe.

When the government's enthusiasm for tourism seems to go too far local authorities, backed by vocal and well-organised grassroots protestors, have proved adept at creating a fuss and forcing Lima to back down.

The fact that many locals see no immediate economic benefit does not mean Peru is not benefitting. The knock-on effects are real and are helping to fuel a 9% economic growth rate, which should ease the poverty, one of the worst in South America.

Corruption and inefficiency hobble the government but it is democratic and it is directing a fair chunk of tourism-related revenues towards affordable housing, food programmes and job creation.

After suffering upheaval and poverty for so long Peru cannot afford to wrap its Inca sites in a bubble. They are assets which need to be treasured and protected - and used.

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I SEE YOUR POINT, BUT THERE IS NO DENYING THAT THE MAJOR TOURIST INVASION (BECAUSE IT IS THAT OVERWELMING), CONTAMINATES THE VALUES OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE. 

EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE GOOD TOURISTS, THERE IS ALSO MANY BAD TOURISTS WHO ARE EAGER TO TARGET CHILDREN AND ADOLECENTS.  I LIVED IN CUSCO AND SAW IT MYSELF.  THERE IS JUST TOO MANY HIPPIES, DRUGGIES, AND BAD PEOPLE WHO ARE TURNING THE MAIN PLAZA AND SURROUNDINGS INTO BABYLON.  IT WILL PROBABLY GET WORSE.

THERE NEEDS TO BE A LIMIT TO THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE GOING, AND THERE NEEDS TO BE SEVERE PUNISHMENTS AND SENTENCES FOR THESE BAD AND SICK PEOPLE WHO TARGET LOCALS, SPECIALLY CHILDREN.

There has to be severe punishment for those bad trashy tourist that come to Cuzco and Macchu Picchu and cause harm and trash the sorroundings of this beautiful jewels cities.
Please don't let Mcdonals built a shop there that would totally destroy the awesome Inca and colonial arquitecture of Cuzco.

It is said (source: local professional guides) that only 5% of the total income of Machu Picchu annually comes back to maintain the archaelogical site, the other 95 % disappears in the pockets of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats, and this is really a lot of money, if you calculate how many people do visit MP !!

Visitors are indirectly sponsoring corruption in this way, and actually all Peru operators from Cusco & Lima should form a front and refuse to do business on this basis until the finances get transparant: how much money comes in and where does it go...

It is true that locals do profit from the incoming business, but all the money that is generated by the government could be used so well for education, projects in the mountains, supporting poor families, rescuing the Amazon etc etc and now it just disapepars in the pockets of a few rich families, and for what...? A shame ! When you have walked eg the Lares trail and seen the contrast with MP it makes aware that we live in a sick world that needs to be changed. When you know that the Amazon will not exist anymore in 20 years, a part of this money could be used so good to maintain and extend national parks... The power you have as a tourist is to discuss this issue with your travel party, at the entrance with officials, with other tourist & Peruvians, with your guides so that the seeds of awareness and actions are born...

First of all, Prices in Cuzco are outrageous. On top of being the highest in Peru they additionally give you the lowest possible exchange rate there.

Secondly, MP may go the way of the Inca Trail. For safety reasons there should be a restriction on the number of people visiting the site. The Inca Trail used to be open to anyone. They changed the rules due to tourists trashing and abusing the trail. Now the trail is closed off each year for maintenance, maybe the same could be done for MP.

Finally, there needs to be education offered to the locals and opportunities given to them to take advantage of the economic benefits of tourism. Once the tourism "monopoly" is broken (as well as negative political habits) then hopefully the result will be more of the population receiving the income. -- It's hard to spread the wealth, however, when tourists are being gouged and left with very little to spread elsewhere.

Again, it's education and reformation. Don't try giving the Peruvians a good idea unless you try to dress it up like a bad idea, otherwise they probably (and sadly) won't take your advice.

Cuzco is a very expensive city that not many peruvians are lucky to visit.

Hi Im peruvian, i live in Trujillo, you're right when  you say that not all of us (peruvians) can go to visit Machu Picchu, is too expensive. Last year i was there and i remember  some of foreing tourist ask us how come we've just come to cusco ? isn't it ironic?. We all hope that our politicians to be more honest and change the incomes' distribution so it can help the manteinance of ours turistic places, and so the people who live there