19 February 2023: Peru’s favourite tourist destination reopens as civil unrest calms down. Read to know more.
One of South America's most popular tourist destinations, Machu Picchu, reopened to travelers in Peru after being closed for several weeks due to turmoil in the country.
Machu Picchu, which was shut down permanently on January 21, reopened to tourists on February 15, according to the national government. According to local news, ticket sales have restarted and the few travelers who endured the situation in Peru were permitted to visit.
After removal and imprisonment of former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo in December, protests that followed forced officials to vacate Machu Picchu and block the trains that connect the site with the city of Cusco, leaving tourists trapped in the Andes.
Although recently the situation has been relatively peaceful, the protests and roadblocks, which have been concentrated in the south of Peru, are still going on. Following an agreement to provide security at the site and for transportation services, tourism enterprises, government, and community leaders reopened the area.
“Machu Picchu” literally means “Old Peak” or “Old Mountain” in the Quechua Indian language. It is the most popular tourist destination in Peru, and is located in the Andes Mountains at a height of more than 7,000 feet. Machu Picchu, a relic of the Incan Empire that was constructed approximately around 1450 AD, was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
