“…During the high season of July and August from 1996 to 2001 as many as 1600 people were starting the Inca Trail trek everyday (about 1000 tourists and 600 porters). There were no regulations and many trekkers camped wherever they wanted, using the ruins as latrines and disposing rubbish along the trail. The Inca Trail was starting to get a lot of negative press and UNESCO threatened to remove its status as a World Heritage Site….”
In 2002, Inca Trail Regulations were introduced in order to protect the monument. These regulations restrict the number of visitors and prevent hiking the Inca trail without a permit.
Conservation projects are held during February of every year. The Inca Trail remains closed and no Inca Trail Permits are issued to visitors during this whole month.
