The closure of a part of the fortress of Kuelap due to the landslides, added to the high transport costs due to the suspension of flights to the Jaén airport and the deterioration of the main land access route have caused that more than 90% of the lodging reservations in Chachapoyas have been cancelled. This was pointed out by the Sustainable Protourism Platform in Amazonas.
He indicated that tourism in Chachapoyas and business hangs in the balance for this high season, which runs from July to October.
For this reason, the hotel and tourism unions in Amazonas, the Regional Chamber of Tourism, small restaurant and business owners asked the Government for urgent measures in the short term to prevent the loss of thousands of jobs and bankruptcies in establishments. .
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Jeff Contreras, president of the Regional Chamber of Tourism of Amazonas, maintained that, since the Kuelap fortress was closed in April due to the collapse of a sector of the wall, the Ministry of Culture does not report transparently on the status of the rehabilitation works.
“Due to bureaucratic obstacles and the inefficiency of the Mincul, it has not yet been possible to open a partial interior circuit that would attract tourists. The alternate route, recently inaugurated as part of the ‘Visit Kuelap in a different way’ campaign and which only allows reaching about 150 meters from the wall of the archaeological complex, is disappointing for tourists, according to the testimonies we have collected and a hoax. monumental”, he mentioned.
Likewise, Contreras demanded that a short internal route be enabled through the northern sector with the corresponding guarantees.
“The livelihood of hundreds of people who sell different products to tourists in the vicinity or offer guide services, transfers, among others, will be completely lost if urgent measures are not taken. It is feasible to enable this internal circuit, there are technical proposals, but it seems that there is no political will or management capacity“, he pointed.
Airport
On the other hand, José Llaja, president of the Association of Official Tourist Guides in Amazonas (Agotur), indicated that the closure of the Shumba airport, in Jaén, and the deterioration of the Marginal Norte highway and the Cajamarca-Chachapoyas highway have increased the cost of transportation for tourists.
It should be noted that in June Corpac decided to close the terminal to carry out maintenance works on the runway for a period of approximately 150 days, despite the fact that there are reports from 2019 indicating its poor condition.
“The more than 7,000 passengers that this airport received each month will no longer be able to travel to the area by this route, which is cheaper and more direct.”, said Laja.
He added that the reason that led Corpac to make this decision at the gates of the start of the high season is not understood.
“It was possible to take advantage of the period of social immobilization to carry out maintenance works. Traveling via the Chachapoyas airport is also an option, but the frequency of trips is less, the capacity of the planes is smaller and round trip tickets from Lima to Chachapoyas cost more than US$300.”, he narrowed down.
Regarding the Marginal Norte highway, which connects Bagua and Pedro Ruiz, the businessman commented that it has more than 8 consecutive km damaged by the November 2021 earthquake and the Ministry of Transport and Communications has enabled a provisional one-lane pass without paving , generating an increase in the route between two to three hours.
“As a platform we demand that the maintenance works at the Jaén airport be speeded up. At the same time, it is urgent that immediate action be taken to rehabilitate the 8 km of affected section of the Marginal Norte highway, the reopening of the double lane and its asphalting. The solution to these problems can avoid the total and imminent ruin of the tourism sector”, said Manuel Cotrina, president of the Association of Tour Operators (Adotur).
