tourism and poverty side by side

just before entering the cusco area on the train from aguas calientes, train staff required that all windows be closed and remain closed for the remainder of the trip. this announcement was odd considering the staff had been encouraging people to snap photos and take in the scenery. i later learned through talking with the staff that closing the windows is a safety precaution. as the train passes comes to cusco it passes through the middle of the poorest barrio (district) in cusco. people living in the barrio have a strong dislike for the train and tourist that people will sometimes through rocks or water at the train. up and to this point, i had not really recognized the poverty in cusco, in a city of 1 million. largely this was because city planners have deliberately re-located the poor to the outside of the city so that tourists are not aware. although i passed through this barrio on the way to aguas calientes a few days ago, i must have been oblivious to the poverty as i was taking in the scenery. on the return trip i spent considerable time thinking about the dilemma of having a luxury tourist train bisecting the poorest barrio.

cusco's main industry is tourism and tourism related activities (approximately 50% of all jobs) and the city has an unemployment rate of 30-40%. without tourism, the city's economy would be in jeopardy. the more i think about it, the more i realize how challenging of a situation it is to balance tourism and local poverty.