Machu Picchu is at risk of losing its ‘credibility’ as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. What’s happening?

By Jimena De La Quintana, CNN

(CNN) — It was in 2007 when Peru’s Machu Picchu Inca sanctuary was designated one of the New 7 Wonders of the World after receiving more than 100 million votes in a global competition.

Now, the New7Wonders project, which organized the vote, warns that Machu Picchu is at risk of losing its “credibility” as one of the wonders due to overtourism, limited conservation policies and social conflicts, among other issues.

In a statement over the weekend, the organization said that everything depends on the country’s “key decision-makers,” who it says have received proposals to implement a strategic transformation plan for the site.

“The designation implies a shared commitment to the conservation and responsible management of the site, as well as the implementation of international preservation and management standards,” the statement said.

CNN has reached out to the New7Wonders to determine what would happen if the site were to lose its designation.

Machu Picchu was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983. That designation is not at risk as it is not associated with the New7Wonders campaign.

Peru’s Ministry of Culture has not directly commented on the New7Wonders statement. However, hours later it said on X that UNESCO, the UN’s culture agency, was “the only competent body to promote the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage.”

The ministry said the “preservation and protection” of Machu Picchu “is not being violated” and that it is not included on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger. It added that during the 47th meeting of the World Heritage Committee held in July in Paris, UNESCO “valued the improvements in visitor management and the implementation of monitoring and conservation tools for the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu.”

CNN has requested additional comment from the ministry.

Meanwhile, Peru’s Ministry of Commerce and Tourism said it was scheduled to meet with the country’s tourism associations this Tuesday to seek a consensual solution to the “complex situation” at Machu Picchu.

What’s happening in Machu Picchu now?

Protests over transportation concessions have left thousands of travelers stranded around Machu Picchu in recent days, according to the Cusco Chamber of Tourism. The city of Cusco in the Andes mountains is a common gateway destination for travelers bound for Machu Picchu.

The problem began in early September with demonstrations over control of the concession for the route leading to the sanctuary. The protests escalated on Monday, when Cusco residents blocked the train tracks leading to the site.

The Peruvian Ombudsman’s Office announced on Wednesday that protesters had reached an agreement to suspend demonstrations for 72 hours and allow the resumption of transit services.

CNN has reached out to the Cusco regional government and the Cusco Chamber of Tourism for comment on the New7Wonders statements and the range of problems the sanctuary is reportedly facing.

Part of a bigger problem?

Are these issues recent or are they part of a larger, long-standing structural problem?

According to New7Wonders, recent years have seen “various intensified challenges that require priority attention: high pressure from tourism, rising prices for services and goods, the risk of damage to historical heritage, reports of irregular practices linked to ticket sales, difficulties in land transportation, as well as limitations in management and conservation policies. Added to this are social conflicts, lack of coordination between institutions and tourism companies, and repeated complaints from visitors.”

In 2023, CNN reported that train services on the route to Machu Picchu were suspended due to a group of residents holding a strike, blocking the railway tracks in protest of the Peruvian government’s decision regarding the online sale of tickets to the sanctuary.

Machu Picchu is expected to exceed 1.5 million visitors this year. That figure would break a previous record for the highest number of visitors in a year, which was reached in 2019, before the pandemic, according to Culture Minister Fabricio Valencia.

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CNN’s Michael Rios contributed to this report.