Peru: Cuzco, Machu Picchu, andthe Sacred (Vilcanota) Valley
Score: 54

"Cuzco is a wonderful Heritage site that can accommodate many tourists. The Sacred Valley also has many opportunities to get off the beaten path and see fascinating built and socio-cultural heritage.Excellent efforts at supporting local art, crafts, and culture are everywhere in evidence.Machu Picchu itself is poorly managed—the reserve is ecologically threatened, local benefits are not good (porters and workers are underpaid and overworked), and the built monument is very crowded. There is a need for a more controlled, ecologically sound management system."

"Kudos to Peru for keeping the monument as spotless as possible; the number of visitors to the historical sites seems fairly well managed. It is always a pleasure to see all the Peruvian schoolchildren visiting these sites along with the tourists from other countries."

"Control and management of tourists actually on Machu Picchu is good and the guides are excellent."

"Cuzco was a bit overwhelming—there were so many tourists that it was hard at times to walk on the sidewalks. History, both pre-conquest and colonial, drips from every corner of the city. I loved the Sacred Valley. It was less crowded, more 'real' in terms of serving an important agricultural purpose."

"Peru has many other sites as worthy of visiting as Machu Picchu—it will be an improvement when the tourism impact on Machu Picchu is spread around to its many lesser-developed sites and the international community gains a better understanding of the broader cultural heritage of Peru."

Peru: Nasca lines and environs
Score: 52

"Amazing site—best appreciated from the air. Local piston-engine planes may not be very safe, but safer overflights are available from Lima. However, little local benefit is derived from the lines."

"People have not taken good care of the lines, as they ride in their cars and quads through these deserts full of mystery."

"The little town of Nasca offers modest facilities for overnight visitors, and makes a comfortable living from them. There seems to be little justification for anything more extensive."

"The local population has lost its cultural relationship with this site. The lines are perceived by the community only as a source of income.The lines are well preserved, however, other portions of the sites and monuments (like the irrigation system) are not."