Cusco: Profile of an Andean city

Cusco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site nestled in the South American Andes, exemplifies the complex interplay between tourism-driven urbanization and cultural preservation. The study reveals that while tourism has transformed Cusco into Peru's 'tourist capital,' it also paradoxically threatens its economic foundation by fueling exclusive real-estate development. This demand for exclusivity and aesthetic mountain landscapes, driven by global urbanization, leads to fragmented leisure landscapes that both include and exclude, challenging local policies to reconcile dichotomies of authenticity, safety, and sustainability.

Branca, D., & Haller, A. (2021). Cusco: Profile of an Andean city. Cities, 113, 103169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2021.103169