Lata member DMCs and hoteliers in Peru report that since 20 December, they lost 99% of all business for January and February. Fortunately – if you can use that word – this is the low season so the impact is lesser to some extent, but bookings for later in the year are very low, which is causing concern.

Thanks to lessons learned during Covid, Peruvian suppliers have offered complete flexibility, worked to rearrange bookings, and generally supported tour operators and their clients. I’m pleased Lata has been able to help operators understand the current situation through a number of webinars, with colleagues on the ground in Peru sharing exactly what is happening.

One positive I take from this situation is that the Foreign Office advice has been very nuanced. We are used to Latin American countries facing blanket travel bans almost as soon as the first placard is waved, but we have seen a completely different, and very welcome, approach this time to the situation in Peru since early December.

It does appear that things are calming down, with the opposing sides in the dispute looking for a political solution – and the reopening this week of Machu Picchu is, symbolically, a big step forward for tourism. With that said, there have still been a few tourists in Peru who, with a bit of flexibility, have been able to complete most – if not all – of their planned itineraries.

Indeed, Paul Cripps from Amazonas Explorer told me: "We did have one group who got stuck in Machu Picchu town for four days – and they absolutely loved it! They got to climb Huayna Picchu with just four other tourists, hiked to Mandor, visited an orchid garden, and eventually hiked out via Hidro Electrica.

"We were also able to sort them a private taxi back to Cusco, the day of the World Cup final, as all the protestors were watching the match!"

One of the big challenges has been the sensationalist reporting on the situation in the UK media, with one well-known broadsheet stating Machu Picchu was closed "indefinitely", rather than "temporarily". This gave the incorrect impression this was a long-term issue – I know of one operator who had a client trying to cancel a May 2024 trip.

We trust the travel industry will take advice from the experts on the ground, as well as the official government advice, to help guide their customers and help prevent unnecessary future cancellations.

Danny Callaghan is chief executive of Lata, the Latin American Travel Association.