Machu Picchu tourism suffering after week of protests against new ticketing system

By FRANKLIN BRICEÑO
Associated Press

LIMA, Peru (AP) — The streets, hotels and restaurants around the ruins of Machu Picchu — Peru’s most famous tourist attraction — are almost deserted. Train service to the area has been canceled amid a week-long protest over the outsourcing of entry ticket sales to a private company. Small businesses and workers in the tourism sector fear the new ticketing system imposed by Peru’s government 10 days ago will hurt them while benefiting big companies, and their protests have slowed visitor arrivals to a trickle. The new system outsources ticket sales to the Inca citadel to one of Peru’s wealthiest economic groups. Before, tickets were handled by an online portal of a state entity that operated out of Cusco. Workers and small tourist operators fear the new system will favor big tourist operators.