Telecabinas Kuélap, Perú

Kuelap cable transport system was designed to ease the access to the Fortress of Kuélap a walled settlement built in the 6th century AD. The cable transport system departs form Tingo Nuevo municipality and reaches the Kuelap Fortress. The cable transport system has a length of 4 kilometres and climbs 1,000 meter height difference.

The goal of the project was to foster economic development in the region by increasing the number of visitors to the region, developing a touristic industry, and adding economic alternatives to an area highly dependent on the primary sector. The new transport system makes easier and faster to reach the fortress once compared with previous alternatives, based on bus and car. Before the construction, it took from three to four hours to reach the Fortress from Nuevo Tingo. With the new cable transport system, it takes only thirty minutes.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism developed the infrastructure as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in which the private concessionaire finances, constructs, and operates the cable transport system. In exchange, the concessionaire receives the ticket sales revenues and the amount difference in between total revenues and the agreed operation cost.

The public administration paid the total cost of the investment to the concessionaire.

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth. The Kuélap cable transport system created formal jobs both during the construction and operation period. The PPP project created 320 direct jobs, permanent and temporary, mainly among local residents.

Goal 9: industry, innovation and infrastructure. The construction of the cable transport system allowed for the use of a completely new transport technology in the country. This project helped to develop domestic know-how that can be eventually used in future transport projects in the country.

Goal 11: sustainable cities and communities. The promotion of the tourist industry helped to diversify the local economy reducing their dependence on the volatile primary sector.

Goal 13: climate action. The environment experienced an improvement resulting from the reduction of number of buses and private vehicles using the road (in a trip of around 3 -4 hours) to reach the Fortress.

Goal 17: partnerships for the goals as the project was developed using a public-private collaboration. The private sector designs, build, finances, and operates the cable transport system. That allowed the public sector to benefit from the private sector know-how on that transport system and international experience while transferring some risk.

The Kuélap cable transport system provides a safe and fast public transport system to an area of cultural interest, the Fortress of Kuélap. The project additionally:

• Fostered economic development of the region by attracting new visitors and therefore developing a tourism industry in the area
• Improved transport security in the country while reducing emissions
• Increased alternatives availability of transport systems in the country

More information

This case study aspires to be People-first Public-Private Partnerships project and is published as received from the proponents.