Machu Picchu Case Study

Importance ***

Topic

Units Options : Leisure Sport

Heritage tourism → travel to experience place, artefacts, historic sites and

indigenous people of an area AKA cultural tourism)

Most attractive cultural sites in Latin America Last stronghold of Incas)

Costs and Benefits

Split into 2 major areas

Urban (sacred temples, squares and royal tombs)

Agricultural (terracing and food storehouses)

Costs and Benefits

Benefits Benefits (specific) Costs Costs (specific)

- Cultural conflicts and

Social - Encourage civic
Social Costs abandonment of traditional
Benefits pride
customs and moral values

- Provides cultural
Untitled exchange between - Increase in local crime
visitors and locals

- Benefits spread to
Untitled
country as a whole

- Encourage learning
Untitled of new languages and
foreign customs

Economic - Attracts affluent Economic - Inflates local prices of goods

Benefits tourists Costs and services

Machu Picchu Case Study 1

 Benefits Benefits (specific) Costs Costs (specific)

- Provides valuable
foreign xchange that
- Jobs in tourism mainly
Untitled can be invested in
seasonal
local services +
projects

- Tourism is volatile + subject to

downturns as result of external
- Extra tax revenue for influences such as economic
Untitled
government recessions or terrorism High
dependence on tourism can be
risky)

- Provides direct
- "Leakage" easily occur →
employment and
money generated to tourism
Untitled indirect employement
doesn't stay in country but
(tourism labor
returns home
intensive industry)

- Tourism has - Visitor numbers are increasing

Environmental conserved natural + Environmental by 6% annually → footpath
Benefits cultural resources that Costs erosion bc numbers beyond
would've been derelict carrying capacity

- Local infrastructure cannot

Untitled cope with recent urbanization,
specifically hotel buildings

- Helicopter introduce noise

Untitled
and disturbance

Managing tourist pressure

Program for Machu Picchu

Funded through a debt-swap arrangement with Finnish government →

Used to strengthen administration of sanctuary and protect environments
+ development of town Aguas Calientes

Foreign tourists allowed to ride local train but local trains limited to
Peruvian nationals only in future

Visitor number should cut to 800 and should wear soft shoes → reduce
pressure on ruins

Machu Picchu Case Study 2

 Town of Aguas Calientes will now receive 10% of ticket receipts from MP
to improve infrastructure (including sewage + waste treatment)

UN body warned Peru if they don’t act to protect it they might lose its
world heritage status

Pro Management Plan

Alternative Inca Trails are gaining popularity with travellers unable or
unwilling to book a slot three to six months in advance. These treks can be
booked a day or two in advance and can cost less than half as much as a
hike on the Inca Trail. This is beginning to spread the economic benefits of
tourism more widely throughout the region

Unmanaged growth in tourism is destroying one of the world's premier

archeological sites, some planners say

Tourists say the numbers of visitors to the citadel are taking the pleasure
out of their trip. There are no quiet places left for reflection

The site is remote and difficult to get to, but this is the reason for its
remarkable state of preservation. Accessibility should not be improved.

Against Management Plan

Machu Picchu Case Study 3