“We will be passing from 4 million to more than 6 million passengers, that will definitely have an impact on the area, and more on the route to Machu Picchu,” he said.

The Regional Governor of Cusco, Jean Paul Benavente, says that with the construction of the Chinchero International Airport, about 8 million people are expected to reach the imperial city.

And although there is not much to start up, he says he wants to get ahead with projects that could have the least impact on tourists visiting the imperial city of Machu Picchu.

“We will be passing from 4 million to more than 6 million passengers, that will definitely have an impact on the area, and more on the route to Machu Picchu,” he said.

Jean Paul Benavente mentioned that, of this figure, 90% of travelers arrive in Cusco to get to know Machu Picchu, and they should be prepared.

Currently, there are three access routes to the imperial city, the busiest is by train, to Aguas Calientes. By this route the arrival time is between 2 and 3 hours.

The other entrance is the route of Santa Teresa, which weighs, which implies a series of 6-hour bus sections, and walks or stretches by train along the edge of the Vilcanota River. By this route the trip could take one to three hours.

of access to Machu Picchu. 230 thousand tourists are arriving in Santa Teresa every year, ”said the governor.

For this, the Management Unit of the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, which presides over the Cusco region, and is made up of the Ministers of Culture, Environment, Foreign Trade and the Mayor of Machu Picchu, will meet on August 12.

On this date the regulations and improvements in the access routes for Machu Picchu, focused on the Santa Teresa route, will be defined.

It should be noted that the Mincetur developed a study on the alternatives for entering Machu Picchu, which involved sections by train and elevators.