The History Of The Galapagos Islands

Geographically, the Galapagos Islands belong to The Equator, and are situated on the Pacific Ocean near Central America. Its an archipelago composed of 41 volcanic islands. The islands have a population of slightly over 30,000 inhabitants.

Historically, the Galapagos Islands were officially discovered by the bishop of Panama, Tomas de Berlanga in 1535. Until the 17th century, the islands are used as a natural water tank and food. What people can find is not only drinking water but also animals in particular tortoises. Unfortunately, lots of animals were used as food and some species were killed off definitely.

In 1835, Charles Darwin explored the archipelago. Surprised by the specific fauna of the islands, he studied particularly the geology and the biology on the islands. Thanks to his observations made, he published his first study on the origin of species and the natural selection.

Between the 1920s and the 1930s, a wave of European settlers arrived in the islands. By 1934, laws on the protection of the archipelago were promulgated. However, because of the World War Two, some species were exterminated.

The archipelago officially became a National Park in 1959. At that period, Darwin foundation was created in order to get funds for the conservation of the islands.

Tourism started toward the end of the 1960s. Today, thousands of millions of people visit the Galapagos Islands each year.

They are the first site in the world that became a listed UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978. Furthermore, in 2007, UNESCO put the Galapagos Islands on the list of “WORLD HERITAGE IN DANGER” because of the environment threats (mass tourism, overfishing, invasive species…). In 2010, they have been removed from this list thanks to the significant progress made by Ecuador.

The question that could be asked: what role has tourism played on the Galapagos islands?

This study on the Galapagos Islands is divided into three main points.

First of all, it will be focusing on the impact of tourism, positive as well as negative, on the islands. Then, it will talk about the management of tourism in that protected area. To finish, it will be discussing the role of eco-tourism in the Galapagos Islands.

The Galapagos Islands, where Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution, are at risk of being ruined by tourists. Indeed, animals are disrupted by large numbers of tourist abandoning their babies and eggs including the famous giant tortoises.

It’s a disaster for all fauna on the Galapagos Islands but as well a real risk for the flora. There are so many species on the islands and in the surrounding waters that are now considered critically endangered, while another ninety have been officially declared as vulnerable. In the last five years, more than 100 new plants species have been introduced. Some species of the giant tortoise and the Galapagos mouse have disappeared completely. When visitors are coming to the island they bring with them spores or insects, which can be dangerous for native species. For example, they brought the mosquito of Malaria, who can kill many birds.

People are thinking that the Island isn’t disfigured by the impact of mass tourism but this is the saddening observation of the latest years. Facts are here and nobody can do anything now. The damage is done. The Galapagos need tourism but in the same time, tourists are damaging the Islands.

Tourists need services such as hotels and resorts. They want the same thing they can find everywhere with the Galapagos landscape. They ask for tourist information centres and guides on the islands. These demands are creating a large part of employment on the island.

They need transport and airport, which has required the setting up of many buildings. The land used to be a magnificent forest and it’s now transforming in small urban areas like everywhere in South America. The Galapagos were concreted like Benidorm in Spain. The concrete spoiled the Spanish’s East coast. For example forty years ago, people could go only by local supplies boat, but today there are up to 5 flights a day or cruise ship.

The government decided to create a highway all around the main island. After a few years of intense urbanism, traffic congestion and a high density of people coming to the tourist attractions, tense relationships took place with local people.

Finally in 1997, after years of governmental mismanagement, crucial decisions were made. UNESCO and all the actors of the Galapagos’ political life decided to create several laws to calm down tensions on the archipelago. They gave priority to the preservation of the ecological system and the biodiversity. The sustainable development on the islands has been one of the most important points of the law. Rising the standard of living for local inhabitants has been implemented. Integrated management’s resources have been created to help people.

The main goal of this driving change and law was set up to favour a peaceful climate on the Galapagos Islands. We know that a good political situation is essential for the tourism industry. Locals and tourists have to progress a great deal together. In the same environment, they have to live together and change their mind. That’s the real impact of tourism in The Galapagos Island.

The development of tourism in the Galapagos Islands has caused numerous changes both on the economic and on the environmental point of view. Over the years, the impact of tourism has become increasingly one of the main preoccupations on the future of the archipelago. The popularity of the Galapagos Islands attracts lots of tourists. However, this massive influx of visitors is presently a threat to the ecosystem because some people don’t have concern for our environment. Therefore, though tourism remains the main economic activity in the archipelago, the implementation of rules was necessary to manage tourism in order to ensure the preservation of the Galapagos Islands.

The Galapagos National Park is the main attraction of the tourists but is submitted to strict rules. Created by the government of the Ecuador in 1959, it aimed to the preservation of wildlife from human influence. Currently, one of the main concerns is the flow of tourists within the islands. In order to reduce the negative impact on the environment, the government has set up a management system in protected areas.

In 1973, the Management Plan of the Galapagos National Park fixed a limited number of tourists to the islands but over the years the number of visitors has increased. Looking at the rise of tourists, that measure wasn’t efficient and so has been reviewed in 1996 focalizing more on the capacity of a site. The capacity is characterised by several parameters such as the time spent in during a visit, the area available, climate…

Before their departure to the islands, visitors receive information about the conservation of the islands and are notified of the appropriate behaviour to adopt over there. Once arrived, tourists are strictly controlled; making sure everything is in accordance with regulations.

During the visit, tourists are accompanied by a certified guide. Guides play an important role in park management. They have attributed a small group with a limited number of people (by boat or on the terrestrial visitor sites). Their main role is to ensure no one infringes rules and respects the wildlife. Tourists are required to stay on marked trails and are not allowed to disturb fauna and leaving trash. Guides have to pay attention to it to avoid damages on the environment. Guides have to make the tourists realise the importance of such rules by providing information on programs carried out by the Galapagos National Park in order to respect the environment.

The Management Plan allows tourists to visit only at selected sites in the National Park and at a small capacity. The visit is authorised in small numbers so that the wildlife and the environment are preserved. The conservation of the islands involves all tourists; they must pay high fees before entering in protected areas.

In addition, the Galapagos National Park Service manages the number of people visiting the sites by establishing a specific and “fixed itinerary” for ships which transports 20 customers or more. The control of tourism is done as well on land as on sea. Different standards are monitored: itineraries for visits, naturalist guide’s qualifications, the quota of passengers… All these factors must be conformed to the legislation.

The role of visitors is a key point in the management of tourism. Managing visitors consists in controlling the identity of each one (once arrived on the islands, tourists provide their personal information: age, nationality…). Then, the monitoring is also focused on reports made by the guides about visits (number of tourists, duration of the visit…).

One of the main challenges for park managers would be to regulate the flow of tourists by implementing a monitoring system.

Tourism in the Galapagos Islands must continue to attract visitors in terms of education, personal experience and awareness. However, it has been necessary to put some limits to regulate in an easier way the activities within the islands.

At last, tourism in the islands is considered as Ecotourism. Ecotourism is defined by TIES (The International Ecotourism Society: a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting ecotourism) as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” (TIES, 1990)

The Galapagos Islands have been an ecological destination for 30 years. With hindsight, we can see the benefits of ecotourism in two major domains: environment and economy.

First of all, it is clear that people need to work to live, but farming and industry have a high impact on the conservation of the environment. Therefore, Ecotourism has been a way to allow people to work while preserving and protecting the nature. This kind of tourism is educational: it teaches people how to live with and be more aware of the surrounding environmental wealth. As a fact, endangered habitats and biodiversity are conserved because both tourists and local people understand the importance of their impact on the environment. The Ecotourism has permitted tourism to continue and progress in the Galapagos Islands, even if its biodiversity is very protected, thanks to a very strict conservation policy, rules and controls. The low-impact tourism developed in the Galapagos has benefited the islands. As a matter of fact, Ecotourism provides financial motivations that encourage local people to protect the environment and work for it.

On an economic point of view, Ecotourism has contributed to raising the quality of life of the natives. It enabled that money spent by tourists (around $1000 per tourist for 2 weeks, so much more than a recreational tourist) goes directly to the locals and not to international companies. This money is reinvested to both increase the standards of living and to finance the Galapagos National Park, in the way to conserve the biodiversity. Generally, in poor countries, the primary resources permit to survive (water, minerals, trees) but Ecotourism in the Galapagos Islands has provided an alternative source of incomes. Indeed, tourism expenses encourage local people to seek for a sustainable job: guide, cleaner, waiter, security, boat owner. Finally, the employment generated by the Ecotourism ensures that fewer people leave for cities.

To sum up, the Galapagos Islands example shows that Ecotourism requires a very well balance between economy and environment.

There is a real correlation between conservation and development in the Galapagos Islands. As a matter of fact, tourism has a significant impact on the environment, because of the entire town planning it needs, the pollution, the noise, and the constant increase in the number of tourists. To manage this, many rules have been settled to restrict that. Ecotourism was the best way to reduce the environment damages caused by the tourism while keeping an important source of revenue. However, Ecotourism should not become an important economic industry. If so, it will not be called “Ecotourism” any longer.