Bribery and corruption rule on the Camino Inca.
In a 2012, a documentary called Porters of the Inca Trail, the porters have voiced out their concerns regarding the bribery that occurs at the weighing station that the government oversees. The practice of overloading porters on the Inca Trail beyond the 25 kg limit remains the standard practice today with many companies getting away with this practice of cutting costs at the expense of the porters. With no real accountability on companies and the bribery that occurs, porters are left without much choice. We as tourists can advocate for more controls, regulations and monitoring of these practices with a clear set of punitive action on companies who violate such laws. As responsible tourists, we can make the Inca Trail experience much more meaningful by advocating for changes that will elevate the rights and welfare of the porters.
Video Credit: Porters of the Inca Trail (2012) by Gabriel Manrique & Michael Lundin