Tourists at Machu Picchu will now have a timed entry permit to access the site from next month.
Ill effects of over tourism has long affected Machu Picchu. The Peruvian Ministry of Culture made the announcement of time bound entry in order to keep visitor levels sustainable at the UNESCO World Heritage site. Presently, tickets for the site must be purchased in advance, but there are no time restrictions.
Tourists will also now be obliged to visit with an official or licensed guide from July, and reservations to the site will be obligatory. The tickets can be brought either online through the official website or through the tour operators.
The new time slots divide visits into morning and afternoon slots: from 6am to midday, and from midday to 5.30pm. It’s still possible to spend the entire day in the citadel – but anyone doing that will be required to buy two tickets. Sixteen tourists will be allowed with every group. Each tour guide will need to sign in and out each visitor in his or her group.
While entry numbers have been controlled before, tourists have been able to arrive and leave whenever they liked on their selected day. it was not a mandate to have guides but will now be from 1st of July.
