Disneyland Paris to reopen
Disneyland Paris said that it would begin a “phased reopening” of the theme park on July 15, with visitor numbers limited via a new online reservation system to ensure social distancing. Visitors aged 11 and older will have to wear face masks, and many shows and events will remain suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the resort said. The first hotel at the site — which usually attracts some 15 million visitors per year— will also open on July 15, followed by staggered openings of others through the summer.
The phased reopening will see “enhanced health and safety measures implemented for both cast members and guests,” the company said in a statement.
Strict rules for Machu Picchu reopening
The ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu — a jewel of Peruvian tourism — will sharply reduce the number of daily visitors once it reopens from a virus- imposed closure in July, officials said.
Given the need for social distancing and other measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19, only 675 visitors will be allowed in each day — one-quarter the usual number — governor of the Cusco region Jean Paul Benavente told AFP. Guides would lead tours of only seven visitors, and people would be required to wear masks.
The July reopening is linked to a lifting of national confinement measures in place since March 16, the governor added. Airports in Peru remain and many shops in the country remain shuttered. But despite some of Latin America’s earliest and most stringent measures, Peru has logged the second- highest number of cases in the region at 225,000, along with some 6,500 deaths.
Despite this, the government announced plans in May to try to revive its important tourism industry by offering free entry to nature reserves and archaeological sites including Machu Picchu for children, public employees and the elderly. Peruvian tourists will also be able to fly again sometime in July or August, but with no decision on the reopening of borders, it remains unclear when foreign tourists will be returning.
Before the pandemic, Machu Picchu saw an average of 2,000 to 3,000 visitors a day, with peaks of 5,000 visiting in high season. However, the pandemic has caused a collapse of Peru’s tourism industry. In the city of Cusco, the ancient Incan capital 70 kilometers from Machu Picchu, tourism employs 100,000 people.
Machu Picchu, a Unesco World Heritage Site. which opened to tourists in 1948, last closed to visitors in 2010 after a flood damaged the access railway. During the latest closure the government added security to prevent the theft of archaeological treasures at the site
The pandemic has caused a collapse of Peru’s tourism industry — it suffered losses totaling US$ 3.3 billion ($ 4.59 billion) this year, said to Prime Minister Vicente Zeballos.
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