Should people still travel to the Galapagos Islands?
By Olly Wheatcroft, responsibletravel.com
Tourism in the Galapagos must continue as it is an educational and inspiring place to visit. The important thing will be to manage tourism in order to ensure that the environment is not damaged and that local people benefit from the income that is generated. In terms of limiting tourist numbers it is up to the government of Ecuador to set limits to growth based upon the carrying capacity of the islands. This is how tourism development has been regulated in areas such as Bhutan and the Inca Trail and is an effective method of limiting environmental degradation. My tips to tourists travelling to the Galapagos I would recommend that anyone travelling to the Galapagos go for as long as they can. We did a four day tour of the northern islands but given the chance we would have done a longer tour which covered the southern islands as well. The following points are tips for ensuring that your visit to the Galapagos is as positive as possible: I asked David Blanton, the Executive Director of the International Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA) for his comments of the future of tourism in the Galapagos: 1. Is there going to be a cap on visitor numbers in order to control tourism development? To our knowledge, there is no official limit on the number of tourists allowed into the Galapagos Islands. We do not know at this time whether there will be any such limit created or enforced. But we hope there will. One important limiting factor right now is the number of “cupos” or permits that are allotted to 84 passenger boats operating there. We have been told that if all of the boats were filled year round, there could be up to 189,000 passengers. We are not certain of the accuracy of this figure. Moreover, some travelers come for 3, 5, 7 days, and longer. A 3-day visitor should not be counted the same as a 7-day visitor. Finally, this does not include hotel capacity. Many visitors to Galapagos (25,000+) are Ecuadorians on holiday using local hotels for varying lengths of time. For these reasons, any formulation would probably need to consider visitor-days combined with their distribution and impact in various locations rather than a simple overall visitor count. 2. Do you feel that visitor numbers need to be capped or should there be stricter controls on responsible tourism practices by Galapagos tour operators? Overall tourism has been beneficial by providing income and jobs. It has provided a reason to protect the islands against total exploitation by extractive industries like commercial fishing. Yet tourism has brought its own unwanted impacts, such as invasive species of plants and animals and incentives for people to migrate to the islands in search of work. We have reached a point at which it is difficult for scientists, conservationists and authorities to keep up with the impact of tourism growth, given the limited resources they have at this time. For this reason, it can be argued that the number of visitors has outgrown our ability to protect against their impact. What the exact limit should be is unknown, and IGTOA will defer to experts who are on the front lines of conservation. It will, in large part, depend on the resources that can be brought to bear for scientific research, conservation and administration of the islands. A big problem is governance, the application and enforcement of existing laws. Those in the tourist industry join conservationists in urging the Ecuadorian government to enforce existing rules and regulations provided by the Special Law for Galapagos. For instance, sport fishing is currently being done in the Galapagos Marine Reserve by companies from Ecuador and the United States in flagrant violation of the law. In addition, the size and budget of the Galapagos National Park has been seriously reduced. There have been twelve Park Directors in the past two years. This has seriously affected the ability of the Park to patrol, enforce laws, and protect the islands. 3. Are licensed tour operators required to demonstrate that they are promoting responsible tourism in the way that they act as a company? Tour companies who are members of IGTOA practice responsible tourism by giving back through conservation projects funded by the donations of member companies. Ecuadorian tour operators are bound to abide by laws and regulations laid down, and follow itineraries set by the Galapagos National Park. They have their own associations which are quite vocal about lax government enforcement and support. A few have taken on the additional cost of certification by the SmartVoyager program, sponsored by Rainforest Alliance. To become certified, a company must go through a rigorous process that guarantees minimal environmental impact. Although there have been problems, in all, it has been an effective and well-run system of low-impact, small-scale tourism. One new development, a 500-passenger cruise ship has recently been given access, which causes concern among many about future growth. 4. Are fishermen being offered viable alternatives to illegal fishing through the development of tourism in the Galapagos? There has been talk of this, and some projects are reportedly underway. Local fishermen are now permitted to take travelers with them to show their local culture. But there are not many opportunities available for fishermen to enter the tourist industry. Lack of education, cultural and language differences, and lack of specialized skills provide barriers to entry for most. These need to be addressed for progress to be made. Our view at responsibletravel.com The long term future of the Galapagos lies in setting a balance between protection of the environment, the creation of sustainable local economic development and ensuring that the visitor experience is not diminished. In order to ensure that tourism in the Galapagos remains sustainable only tour operators who show a strong commitment to responsible tourism should be licensed to operate. Visitor numbers should be controlled, but need not be limited as long as measures are put in place to ensure that operators and tourists operate responsibly. Specific calls 1. Clear limits to growth need to be set to ensure that tourism in the Galapagos is regulated. The most obvious way to do this will be through the number of permits that are issued. 2. Permits should only be issued to operators who are active in responsible tourism. 3. Government needs to enforce regulations on tourism development especially those relating to environmental protection. 4. More opportunities need to be created for local people through tourism. Key to this will be the provision of viable alternatives to (illegal) fishing. 5. The development of responsible tourism needs to be based on what is appropriate for the Galapagos. Will the licensing of larger vessels increase environmental degradation and detract from the visitor experience? Useful links  Back to environment news
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