More than one million Peruvian and foreign tourists are expected to visit the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco by the end of 2011, a 30 percent increase versus last year, according to Peru’s National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur).
Canatur President Carlos Canales said that foreigners would make up seventy percent of visitors to Machu Picchu; while the remaining will be Peruvian travelers, especially school delegations.
Canales noted that this year's centennial celebrations will help increase tourist arrivals compared to last year, when some 460,000 and 200,000 foreign and domestic people visited the World Heritage site, respectively.
Most foreigners come from the United States, Spain and Japan, while Peruvian-born visitors are from Lima, Lambayeque, La Libertad and Loreto.
"Tourists will generate revenues worth over US$3.3 billion dollars in 2011, compared to US$2.7 billion in 2010," the head of Canatur told Andina.
Source: Andina [November 20, 2011]