Peru: Machu Picchu begins trial of new direct ticket sales system

11:13 | Cusco (Cusco region), Sep. 24.

The Ministry of Culture began a trial on Tuesday, September 22, of the direct ticket sales mechanism for entry to the Machu Picchu Llaqta and the Inca Road Network, located in Cusco region, through the Tu Boleto platform.

The government agency stated that this trial period will last 30 calendar days.

It will allow the operation of the new system to be monitored and any necessary adjustments to be made based on the performance of the system and users' experience.

The Ministry of Culture stated that the new mechanism is now operational following the completion on Monday, September 21, of the platform's 10-day technical adaptation period.

The work was carried out by the Ministry of Culture, through its General Office for Statistics, Information and Communications Technologies (OGETIC), in coordination with the technical teams of the Decentralized Directorate of Culture (DDC) in Cusco.

What changes with direct sales?

One of the main changes is the elimination of the three-hour advance reservation requirement.

From now on, users will initially have a maximum of 15 minutes to complete the purchase process.

Once the payment has been confirmed, the ticket will be assigned and issued in the visitor's name.

If payment is not completed within that period, the slot will be automatically released and made available again for another user to purchase.

Thus, the Ministry of Culture seeks to ensure that the availability shown on the platform corresponds to tickets that visitors can actually purchase, linking ticket issuance to confirmed payment.

During the 30-day trial period, it will be assessed whether the initial 15-minute period is sufficient or whether it should be extended or shortened.

Process also covers the Inca Road Network

The new mechanism will also apply to the Inca Road Network.

In this regard, the Ministry of Culture clarified that travel and tourism agencies will continue to participate in the purchase process.

It detailed that tickets will be linked both to confirmed payment and visitor's identification, with the aim of maintaining an orderly and transparent process.

Machu Picchu capacity remains unchanged

The Ministry of Culture clarified that the implementation of the new sales mechanism does not alter the Machu Picchu Llaqta's admission capacity.

The admission capacity remains at 5,600 visitors per day during the high season and 4,500 during the low season.

In the case of the Inca Road Network, capacity also remains unchanged at 750 visitors per day.

Therefore, the change implemented applies to the ticket sales and issuance mechanism, rather than the number of visitors authorized to enter the historical sanctuary.