Although Puno city proper in southern Peru is a popular stop with tourists who which to visit islands in Lake Titicaca, these tourists don't generally spend more than a day or two in the small city. Now, a technical committee has been convened to promote tourist attractions in the Puno region and to entice visitors to spend more time in the region. They plan to do this by implementing a general tourist ticket like the one used in Cusco.
As Gary Mariscal, head of the regional administration of the Culture Ministry (Dircetur Puno), explained that "the tourist tickets will provide travelers the opportunity to visit several tourist attractions by only acquiring one ticket, as is the case in many cities of the country, such as Cusco and Arequipa."
How does such a tourist ticket work? One cannot visit any individual site covered by the ticket without purchasing the full ticket. This means that there is no individual entry fee for different tourist attractions. A ticket is purchased for all of the main attractions, and is valid for a certain number of days. This provides travelers with an incentive to visit all of the local sites included in the ticket.
The following sites are the most popular in the Puno region, and are thus the most likely to fall under the future tourist ticket:
- The Carlos Dreyer Museum
- Lake Titicaca
- The Floating Islands of Uros
- The Quechua-speaking islands of Amantani and Taquile
- The Pucara Ruins
- The pre-Incan burial towers known as the Sillustani Chullpas
- The colonial churches of Juli, on Chucuito Peninsula
A system like the one which will be implemented can be a boon for the traveler who already planned to visit all of the sites included, but is the bane of travelers who only planned on visiting one or two of the sites, or on staying merely a day or two in the region.
14 municipalities are involved in the project, as well as the regional head of the Foreign Trade and Tourism Ministry. Together, these representatives and functionaries will decide on the regulations and price for the ticket. Upon approval, it will take effect next year, in early 2016. Profits from ticket sales will be allocated to each municipality for investment in infrastructure and conservation.
Currently, the ticket is still in the planning process, but we'll be letting you know as new information becomes public so that you can plan your trip to the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca with full awareness of the tourist ticket price, what's included, and the date from which it will become mandatory.
