Machu Picchu visits drop 25% in first half of 2023 due to protests

In the first half of 2023, visits to Machu Picchu, one of the recognized modern wonders of the world, decreased by 25%.

This decline, reported by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur), was influenced by anti-government demonstrations during which protestors blocked access points to the historic sanctuary.

Between January and June 2023, the iconic site attracted 319,648 visitors, in contrast to the 426,277 who visited during the same months in 2022, as detailed in Mincetur’s Monthly Tourism Report.

In January, protests resumed after a brief pause during the holiday season. Demonstrators hindered access to the base town of Aguas Calientes by obstructing train and bus routes.

As a result, only a few individuals managed to reach Machu Picchu, undertaking a roughly three-hour hike from a nearby hydroelectric station.

Consequently, from January 21 to February 17, both Machu Picchu and its associated trail were entirely shut down due to the protests.

Following the reopening, visitor numbers gradually rebounded, eventually reaching the daily limit of 4,044.

Additionally, other tourist spots such as the Paracas natural reserve saw 239,007 visitors (down from 306,205 in 2022).

The Ballestas Islands had 191,729 visitors (compared to 239,873 in 2022).

The Moray archaeological site and the Pampa de Ayacucho historical sanctuary also saw fewer visitors in 2023 compared to the previous year.