The Government will campaign in order not to lose visitors to Machu Picchu

Cusco, February 01, 2010 Due to heavy rains, thousands of tourists were trapped this week in Aguas Calientes and had some difficulties before they were evacuated by helicopter (DPA) .- The Minister of Foreign Trades and Tourism, Martín Pérez, confirmed on Sunday that the Inca sanctuary of Machu Picchu is intact despite the damage to its surroundings by flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains. Perez said the government would make every effort to ensure that the paths to Machu Picchu are reconstructed as soon as possible, and at the same time he added that the government will develop a promotional campaign for the place and all the Cusco region so that it can be visited by domestic tourists to the possibility that the presence of foreigners is a bit undermined due to the situation presented last week. "It would be an excellent measure (the increase in domestic tourism) to compensate, because Cusco is primarily visited by inbound tourism (foreign)," the official said. About 4,000 tourists, mostly foreign ones, were trapped this week in Aguas Calientes, access point to Machu Picchu, and had some difficulties before they were evacuated by helicopter. One Argentinian tourist died after being swept together with her tent. Now there are fears that the incident, which was reported on widely, could discourage the arrival of foreigners. Cusco, the epicenter of the Inca empire, is the greatest tourist attraction in Peru and generates much of its revenue from that industry. The main problems are the tracks. You can only get to Machu Picchu by helicopter but to a very high price, by rail or long walks on the Inca Trail, but these two last options are currently suspended by the rupture of the railway and the flooding of the trails. According to Perez, there are two principal points where they could build a bridge from areas where there are roads. "At (the village of) Santa Teresa there is apparently less damage. The concessionaire of the railway estimated that it could be rehabilitated in about ten days; we'll see how it is materialized," he said. Perez also explained that the Government continues with the evacuation of about 500 people in need of leaving Aguas Calientes and who have not been transferred by given priority to tourists. This work will be completed in the next few hours if the weather permits. On the other hand, the minister recalled that in Cusco there are other tourist attractions which have not been damaged, such as Ollantaytambo and Sacsayhuaman; so Cusco remains a point of tourist interest while they completely rebuild the railroad to Machu Picchu and its surroundings. Although the international attention was on what happened in the town of Machu Picchu, the drama affects to several villages in Cusco, where at least 35,000 people, according to Civil Defense, were left homeless due to the heavy rains which tripled the level of the rivers on which are historical averages for this time of year. (Source: El Comercio – Lima – in Spanish)