UJ #14 - Qhapac Ñan

The Peru-Bolivia Binational Trek is an example
of the unity generated by the Qhapaq Ñan.
Qhapaq Ñan Project’s National Office
What benefits is receiving each country?
The most important benefit is the international
positioning that increases the flow of visitors and is
essential for the economic and social development of
the nearby areas. This will allow boosting the tourist
potential of the Qhapaq Ñan in areas outside the
traditional Cusco route.
The countries with listed heritage sites belong to
a global community concerned about maintaining
these assets, they gain access to the World Heritage
Fund that provides economic support to remediate
damages caused by natural disasters and to the signing
of international agreements for the conservation and
protection of the sites.
Finally, a mention of this type involves raising further
awareness in the public in favor of the heritage
and, consequently, the commitment of government
authorities and communities to protect their legacy
and find forms of sustainable development that
benefit them.
The Qhapaq Ñan today
Rather than perceiving it as a topic of the past, the Qhapaq
Ñan is the tool to talk about a “new history” without borders,
which highlights the diversity among the six countries
but does not prevent them from coexisting in the same
territory. The meaning of this trail goes beyond being a
mere road that connects the Tahuantinsuyo, but it has a
great transformational and unifying potential.
Its functional nature and the fact that it continues to be
currently used as a means of communications, allows
raising awareness of a public space that can be enjoyed
and used by the citizens. “The Qhapaq Ñan is not really
about the Incas, but about the present. We can use it to
create stories of who we are today, what is our relationship
with the people and how we allow them to enjoy a heritage
that belongs to all of us,” highlighted Marcone.
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