Inca Trail Regulations

Over the last decades, Peru has become a most popular travel destination. There are many great treks throughout Peru, but the Inca Trail is the most known. During the peak season of 2000, many campsites were crowded and the trail got polluted with rubbish. In early 2001, Peruvian government proposed to reduce number of trekkers on the trail to 500 per day. This figure roughly comprises 200 tourists and 300 trekking staff (Tour Guides, Cooks and Porters). In 2002 and 2003, the government tried to enforce the 500-person limit; however, they came under pressure of local operators and allowed an extra 200 persons during the busy months of July and August after all. The figure of 200 tourists includes trekkers of 2-day and 4-day Inca Trails as well as 7-day Salkantay Trek and Inca Trail. We estimate that about 160 trekkers per day start the 4-day trek, 25 the 2-day trek and 15 the Salkantay Trek. During 2003 and 2004, Peruvian government introduced a series of changes of the Inca Trail in a bid to protect its fragile eco-structure from over-use. Most of these changes have been focused on reducing the number of trekkers on the trail, improving quality of tour operators and offering a reservation system where trekkers have to make their reservations many weeks (or even months) in advance. The changes came into force as regulations in 2005. Further regulations focused on porter welfare improvement have been introduced in the early 2006. An important regulation (among others) is that each trekking company operating the Inca Trail has to possess an operating licence which is issued (or renewed) every year in March.