Tourists help, harm Peru's Machu Picchu

The Christian Science Monitor via Yahoo! News

"Like popular destinations from the Great Wall of China to the Taj Mahal in India, Machu Picchu's tourist influx is a two-edged sword. With the hordes of visitors come thousands of pounding feet eroding the pathways, seated bottoms weighing down the walls, and sweaty palms leaving eroding salt deposits on the stone structures. Buses bringing in holidaymakers spew exhaust into the air, polluting the ecosystem. Some travelers even use the ruins along the Inca Trail as bathrooms. The problems are so severe that the United Nations is threatening to place this World Heritage Site on its 'at-risk' register this year.........

"For two years, UNESCO has warned that Machu Picchu can't cope with such a high level of traffic. It recommends that the number of visitors to the site be halved; that Peru investigates alternative transport up to the site and how to prepare for and prevent natural disasters in the area; and requests that the government work with international lending institutions to establish an integrated scientific, technical, and financial program for conservation. While the "at-risk" designation would carry no legal weight, it would be an embarrassment to the Peruvian government.

"In response, the government is proposing a $130 million "master plan" designed to halt and reverse the damage. It is in consultation with UNESCO, which will decide next month if the plan addresses its concerns."