(TAN): Peru’s majestic Incan citadel of Machu Picchu is set to reopen on November 1, after almost seven months of its closure, said media reports.
The long closure of Peru’s top tourist draw, which has thrashed the local economy, marks the second time it has been shut down since it opened its doors to tourism in 1948. The first time was in 2010 when torrential and prolonged rains forced it to close.
The stone complex will receive 675 visitors a day, the director of Machu Picchu archaeological park, José Bastante, said to the media during a visit to the near-empty ruin ahead of its reopening.
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“We have a limited 30% admission capacity in compliance with biosafety measures and protocols,” Bastante was quoted as saying while supervising final preparations to open the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The site is accustomed to receiving 3,000 tourists a day, though it recently passed regulations limiting visitors to 2,244 visitors a day to protect the ruins.
Even the capped number is also huge, given that experts believe that a maximum of 410 people lived in the citadel on the limits of the Andes mountains and the Amazon in the 15th century.
Before entering, visitors will have their temperatures taken and will be required to wear masks and stand at least 2 meters apart.
Groups, including a guide, cannot be larger than eight people, and children under 12 will not be allowed. To avoid crowding, visitors will travel on four circuits.
Tour operators are offering packages costing USD 50 to visit Machu Picchu, which before the pandemic would have cost at least USD 750.
All the tourist spots of Peru including Machu Picchu was shut down after the government declared a general lockdown from March 16 to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Within this long closure the citadel opened only once earlier this month for a single Japanese tourist named Jesse Katayama. He was granted special permission by the Peruvian government to visit Machu Picchu after being stranded in the country for seven months.
