(Repost) Machu Picchu to Re-open in Spring - 1 views

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  #1 Wes Decker on 22 Apr 10

   

  The Fifteenth-Century Incan fortress at Machu Picchu is expected to open early this April after flash flooding and mudslides disabled the railroad in late January and cut off access to any tourists except backpackers. It sits at an elevation of 7,874 feet about fifty miles from the city of Cuzco, only twenty miles of which is passable by car or jeep.
  
  The Machu Picchu ruins were fortunately undamaged by the flooding, which was caused by the heaviest rain in fifteen years. About four thousand people including two thousand refugees were evacuated after being stranded for five days. The flooding dealt a serious blow to Peru's tourism industry, as Machu Picchu typically receives about one million visitors per year. The losses so far are estimated at US$160 million.
  
  Tellingly, stock in the company that operates the Machu Picchu railway rose 2.4% after the Peruvian trade minister set a definitive date at April 1. In the meantime, Cuzco merchants will be getting a bailout of sorts: The government is cutting air fares and hotel rates by half to stimulate tourism in that city while the railroad is repaired, with Peruvian citizens receiving said rate cuts before foreign travellers.
  
  Sources:
  
  Reuters: "Peru says Machu Picchu site to reopen in April" - http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61F5Y920100217
  
  Business Week: "Peru seeks tourists for Cuzco Machu Picchu gateway [sic]" - http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9DUN1KG0.htm

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">The Fifteenth-Century Incan fortress at Machu Picchu is expected to open early this April after flash flooding and mudslides disabled the railroad in late January and cut off access to any tourists except backpackers. It sits at an elevation of 7,874 feet about fifty miles from the city of Cuzco, only twenty miles of which is passable by car or jeep. <br /> <br /> The Machu Picchu ruins were fortunately undamaged by the flooding, which was caused by the heaviest rain in fifteen years. About four thousand people including two thousand refugees were evacuated after being stranded for five days. The flooding dealt a serious blow to Peru's tourism industry, as Machu Picchu typically receives about one million visitors per year. The losses so far are estimated at US$160 million. <br /> <br /> Tellingly, stock in the company that operates the Machu Picchu railway rose 2.4% after the Peruvian trade minister set a definitive date at April 1. In the meantime, Cuzco merchants will be getting a bailout of sorts: The government is cutting air fares and hotel rates by half to stimulate tourism in that city while the railroad is repaired, with Peruvian citizens receiving said rate cuts before foreign travellers. <br /> <br /> Sources: <br /> <br /> Reuters: "Peru says Machu Picchu site to reopen in April" - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61F5Y920100217" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61F5Y920100217</a> <br /> <br /> Business Week: "Peru seeks tourists for Cuzco Machu Picchu gateway [sic]" - <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9DUN1KG0.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9DUN1KG0.htm</a></div>

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