Overview
- Mincetur reports 1,170,389 visitors to Machu Picchu from January to September 2025, 78.4% of them foreigners, a 3% year‑over‑year rise that still places the site behind Lima’s Circuito Mágico del Agua with 1.845 million visits.
- Cusco’s DDC says Machu Picchu registered 149,977 visitors in October, implying roughly 1.3 million through the first ten months pending validation by Mincetur.
- The site was named the world’s best tourist attraction at the 2025 World Travel Awards, reflecting strong international appeal despite operational strains.
- IPE estimates visits remain 24.8% below the pre‑pandemic trend with about 5.5 million cumulative lost trips since 2020, contributing to an estimated S/770 million shortfall in ticket revenue and a 34% drop in Cusco tourism jobs versus 2019.
- Persistent bottlenecks include the reservation of 1,000 daily in‑person tickets since 2022 that drives queues, a Contraloría warning on deficient cash custody, protests after the Consettur bus concession ended, and long delays at the Chinchero airport project.