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Peru has seen a dramatic rise in tourism over the last few decades
(Larson and Poudyal, 2012) and the popular tourist destination,
Machu Picchu, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
1983 (UNESCO, 2016). On their way to Machu Picchu tourists can
hike the scenic Inca Trail, a stone path that was built by the Incas
to connect important sites throughout the Urubamba Valley.
The total number of hikers on the Inca Trail went up from 6,236
in 1984 to 130,454 in 2006 (Maxwell, 2012) with over 1,600 hikers
a day using the path in the high season (July-August, 1996-
2001). This drastic increase in tourism has contributed to the
degradation of this historic and culturally significant path. Many
trekkers camped at unregulated campsites, using the ruins as
latrines and disposing of waste along the Trail.
Because of the substantial damage and UNESCO’s
recommendations, Inca Trail Regulations were introduced in
2002, to protect and preserve the Trail. These regulations restrict
the number of visitors and prevent hiking the Inca Trail without
a permit. The fee for the Trail was increased from USD 17 to USD
50 and hikers are required to trek with a registered guide (Roach,
2002; Barcelona Field Studies Centre, 2016). Today, hikes without
an authorized Inca Trail Guide are no longer permitted and
stringent restrictions means there is now a three-to six-month
waiting list for tourists hoping to hike the Trail. Only licensed
tour operators are permitted to sell Inca Trail packages and all
waste must be removed from the Trail (Larson and Poudyal, 2012;
Barcelona Field Studies Centre, 2016).
The Inca Trail Network of the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu
regulations require agencies and guides to have appropriate
containers for solid waste disposal. They also require travel
agencies, tourist guides and assistance crews to separate solid
waste generated during their stay on the Inca Trail into organic
and non-organic waste and carry it out of the sanctuary (Inca
Trail, 2016).
Ecological conservation projects are held every year and the Inca
Trail remains closed for one month for maintenance; no permits
are issued to visitors during this time (Barcelona Field Studies
Centre, 2016). In one cleaning day in February, residents of the
region collected 5 tons of waste from a 10km section of the
path. These measures are a positive step towards protecting the
environment and managing the waste, but further studies need
to be conducted to establish the quantitative benefits of these
policies on the Machu Picchu region.
CASE STUDY
Implementation of Waste Systems on the Inca Trail, Peru
The Inca Trail.
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