Peru's Machu Picchu awarded Safe Travels stamp amid COVID-19 pandemic

Peru's ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu on Tuesday were awarded the Safe Travels stamp by the World Travel and Tourism Council in recognition of its proper health and safety measures to protect visitors.

According to Jean Paul Benavente, the governor of Cusco, the south Andean region where the archaeological site is located, the stamp proves the famed ruins are a safe destination for tourists amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thanks to the seal of approval, "Cusco will once again become the leading safe tourist destination to start the reactivation (of tourism) nationwide," said Benavente.

The awarding ceremony held in Machu Picchu, 1,151 kilometers southeast of Lima, the capital city of Peru, was preceded by an Inca religious rite in honor of "Pachamama" (Mother Earth) and "Apus" (Sacred Mountains for the Andean culture).

The Safe Travels stamp is endorsed by the World Health Organization to promote effective social distancing and health protocols developed to combat the pandemic.

Peru is the third Latin American country to receive the stamp, after Ecuador and Brazil.