Page last updated: 11 November 2024
Machu Picchu, often referred to as the Lost City of the Incas, is the most popular destination of the Incan Empire. Located on the top of the mountain 2,430 meters above sea level, it is considered a tourist attraction par excellence in Peru.
How many tourists visit Machu Picchu every year?
Over 950,000 tourists visited Machu Picchu in 2023.
Before the pandemic, Machu Picchu attracted an average of 1.5 million tourists annually, with around 2,500 visitors per day.
- In 2017, Machu Picchu welcomed 1.5 million visitors with a steady visitation number of 1.6 million in 2018 and 1.5 million domestic and international visitors in 2019.
- This number significantly decreased to 270,000 visitors in 2020 and 450,000 in 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Machu Picchu saw a slight recovery with 980,000 domestic and international visitors in 2022. A total of 950,000 tourists visited Machu Picchu in 2023 indicating a downturn in visitors.
How many tourists visited Machu Picchu in 2023?
- A total of 950,000 tourists visited Machu Picchu in 2023.
How much do visitors spend in Machu Picchu every year?
- Machu Picchu is the most visited tourist destination in South America, generating an estimated $40 million each year for the Peru economy.1
Where do visitors to Machu Picchu come from?
- Machu Picchu mostly attracts visitors from Chile, the United States, Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil.
- While European, Asian, and Central American tourists made up 20% of total visitors.
Where is Machu Picchu?
- Machu Picchu, located 2,430 meters above sea level amidst a tropical mountain forest, is one of the most remarkable urban achievements of the Inca Empire. Its massive walls, terraces, and ramps blend seamlessly with the surrounding rock formations.
Impact of Coronavirus – Machu Picchu Tourism Statistics 2020
Tourist visits to Machu Picchu were down 72% in the first half of the year 2020.2
- The site received around 500 visitors a day in December 2020, down from more than 2,500 during normal times.
- Authorities have also restricted the number of trekkers on the Inca Trail. The Inca Trail can now only accommodate half of its previous limit (about 250 hikers per day).
Impact of Coronavirus – Machu Picchu Tourism Statistics 2021
Peru, like most countries in South America and globally, experienced a second wave of COVID-19 in 2021.
- All archaeological sites in regions of Peru, including Machu Picchu, “will receive zero visits” from January 31 to February 14 of the year 2021, as stated in a decree published in the official gazette in 2021.3
How popular is Machu Picchu as a tourist destination?
- Machu Picchu has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 and was designated one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. Machu Picchu is Peru’s most visited attraction and South America’s most famous ruins, welcoming hundreds of thousands of people a year.4
- Due to its popularity, Machu Picchu, Peru experiencing high tourist volumes lead to overcrowding, environmental damage, and impact on ancient structures and the local ecosystem.
Read more about Global Overtourism and other countries that experiencing it.
America Travel Statistics Resources
References
- ScholarWorks: Tourism in Peru 2018 ↩︎
- NatGeo: Impact of Covid-19 in Machu Picchu ↩︎
- EconomicsTime: The second wave of Covid-19 in Machu Picchu ↩︎
- History: Machu Picchu Today ↩︎
