14:51 | Cusco (Cusco region), Jun. 12.
The
Regional Government of Cusco proposed that the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) allow cross-border travel in Cusco in order to resume tourism in the region —especially in Machu Picchu— and overcome the impact of the coronavirus on said industry.
Cusco Region Governor Jean Paul Benavente affirmed that the above-mentioned journeys would begin gradually, from safe locations in Latin America and respecting the safety protocols in response to COVID-19, while Peru's capital city Lima recovers from the coronavirus impact.
"We have proposed that the
Ministry of Transport and Communications should authorize cross-border travel from Latin American places where 'safety bubbles' are used, such as Colombia, Bolivia, and Chile, to allow tourism to resume," he told RPP.
Benavente explained that cross-border travel to Cusco would be an option while Lima recovers from the impact of the coronavirus.
"We are not asking that the trips are allowed
starting July 1, but to authorize them so as to begin the reopening process and, thus, facilitate access to
Machu Picchu," he added.
In addition, he met with officials of the Executive Branch, the Regional Government of Cusco, and local governments, as well as with representatives of business associations and tour operators, in Machu Picchu Town, for the validation of protocols to resume tourist activities in Cusco.
The aim is to resume
tourism, a sector on which over 100,000 people depend and whose 90-day closure —due to the quarantine decreed to curve the spread of the virus— has strongly impacted the region's economy.
(END) MAO/RMB/MVB
Published: 6/12/2020