NICH Justifies Archaeological Site Fee Hike Amid Tour Guides’ Maintenance Concerns

The National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) hopes the recent uptick in entrance fees for archaeological reserves will strengthen its ability to maintain the country’s historical sites. In recent weeks, several tour guides have taken to social media to express concerns over what they say are less-than-optimal conditions at various archaeological reserves. According to the guides, while the visiting fees at the sites have increased, the infrastructure of the reserves has seen little to no improvement. This week, Minister of Culture Francis Fonseca spoke on the concerns and noted that NICH is cognizant of the need for greater maintenance, which was one of the driving factors for the increase in fees.

The increase was initially to take effect in November 2024 but was pushed back to January 1, 2025.