Iconic site faces being stripped of 'Wonder of the World' status amid tourist chaos

One of the 'Seven Wonders of the World' could be stripped of its status after disruptive protests left 900 tourists trapped at the historic site, an organisation has warned. Hundreds of visitors were left stranded near Machu Picchu in Peru this week after train tracks to the 15th-century citadel were blocked by protesters opposing a major public transport contract. It's just the latest in a series of blockades that have wreaked havoc on tourist expeditions; however, social unrest about new infrastructure geared towards holidaymakers dates back to 2023.

The associated failures to manage tourism's impact on the southeastern region of Peru could see the ancient Inca site stripped of its eminent status as one of the 'Seven Wonders of the World', the New7Wonders organisation cautioned. New7Wonders, which ran a global poll to select the 'seven wonders' in 2007, reportedly sent a letter to the Peruvian government following the latest disruption, warning that if the conflict between visitors and locals continues to escalate, the site's rank could be re-evaluated.

The organisation also released a public letter to the South America country's people, relaying that the reputation of one of the world's most famous landmarks was being blighted by internal conflicts, alongside growing visitor numbers and price hikes.

"There [has also been] incoordination between institutions and tourism companies and repeated complaints by visitors," the statement continued. "If these issues are not addressed, they could continue affecting Peru's image as somewhere where visitors and have a bad experience, and thus compromise Machu Picchu's credibility as one of our Seven Wonders of the World."

New7Wonders said it was reminding local officials that the 'wonder' designation implied a commitment to responsible handling and conservation of the site.

The disruption on Wednesday involved demonstrators putting "rocks of various sizes" on train tracks through the mountainous Cusco region, as well as digging up part of the PeruRail route to hinder tourist evacuations.

The protesters were speaking out against a bus service designed to ferry visitors to and from the citadel from the town of Machupicchu - for which a new contract was recently awarded, in a process locals disputed the transparency of.

"The concession was not put out to tender in time, providing the necessary transparency so that all companies could participate," Madeleine Burns, Peru's former vice minister of tourism, told Bloomberg. "Lack of transparency is the biggest problem."

She added that the route generates around $32 million (£27.8 million) a year.

The high-revenue-earning site "has been severely mismanaged by various political interests", Juan Stoessel, voice president of the local chamber of tourism, added. "This is the straw that broke the came's back."