A feud over bus routes at Machu Picchu has left tourists stranded and area residents fuming, exposing deeper rifts over who profits from Peru's crown jewel. The dispute centers on operation of the lucrative shuttle service ferrying thousands of visitors from Aguas Calientes, the nearest town, up to the famed Inca citadel—a 20-minute ride that spares tourists a grueling two-hour climb, per the BBC. For three decades, Consettur, a company comprised of local businesses and partly owned by the district council, has held the contract, moving about 4,500 people daily.
That changed in September, when Consettur's license expired and a rival firm, San Antonio de Torontoy, was awarded the route. People who questioned the transparency of the bidding process and in some cases call the service a monopoly blocked the railway to Aguas Calientes, leading to the evacuation of some 1,400 tourists. The transition has since stalled in court, with Consettur continuing to operate and the new company sidelined by legal wrangling. Ticket prices are another sore spot: Foreigners pay $24 for the bus and at least $140 for a round-trip train to Aguas Calientes, with entry to Machu Picchu itself costing $57. Residents like Annalise Jaksic and Todd Carland say the process is confusing and expensive; Carland said buying the entry tickets "was a nightmare for us."
Some in Peru's tourism sector are calling for a complete overhaul, including more local investment and possibly state control of all transport to Machu Picchu. Aguas Calientes Mayor Elvis La Torre wants a bigger share of the revenue to stay in the community. Jean-Paul de la Fuente, the director of the New 7 Wonders of the World organization, has said, "The situation at Machu Picchu has been brewing for many years, and we have been following it with concern." The organization warned that Machu Picchu could losing its credibility as a world wonder, per the Independent.
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