Tourists visiting Ecuador's Galapagos Islands will have to pay double the entry fee from this year, amid concerns that the rise in visitor numbers is putting pressure on the ecologically sensitive destination.
Ecuador's Ministry of Tourism announced the new tariffs, which will come into effect on August 1, 2024.
The entry fee will range up to US$200 for citizens of almost all countries, except for other members of Mercosur, which includes Argentina, Brazil and Peru.
Mercosur members will pay a fee of US$100 per person, which is double the current US$50. Children under two years old can visit for free, regardless of nationality.
This is the first increase in Galapagos entry fees since 1998.
“The Galápagos Islands are not only a national treasure, but also a global one. It is our collective responsibility to protect and preserve this incomparable ecosystem for future generations,” said Niels Olsen, Minister of Tourism of Ecuador, in a statement shared with the Galapagos Conservation Trust. .
Olsen added that extra money from ticket sales will go towards conservation efforts on the islands, which lie 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) off the coast of mainland Ecuador.
The Galápagos are a UNESCO World Heritage Site made up of more than 100 islands. The islands, nicknamed a “living museum”, are home to many rare or endangered plants and animals.
Only about 30,000 people live on one of the Galápagos Islands, but about 170,000 tourists visit annually.
The Galapagos Conservation Trust, a UK-registered charity focused on promoting conservation and sustainability on the islands, has warned of the ecological consequences of increased visitor numbers.
“In recent years we have seen a worrying growth in the number of visitors to the islands, driven by a sharp increase in land-based tourism,” the organization reported on its website.
“This is pushing waste management systems to the limit, exacerbating water and food insecurity and increasing the threat of the introduction of devastating invasive species to the islands,” he added.
Despite this, scientific discoveries continue to be made in the archipelago. Last year, scientists discovered a previously unknown coral reef believed to be thousands of years old.
In 2021, UNESCO published a report on the islands and the state of conservation work in the region. The report praised the Ecuadorian government for reducing illegal fishing and controlling the spread of invasive species, but called for an update by 2024.
The destination's global profile could be raised this year with a new film, directed by Ron Howard, that explores a true story of scandal, sexual liberation and murder that took place on a Galapagos island in the 1930s. released later this year, it will star Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Kirby, Ana de Armas and Jude Law.
Source: CNN Brasil
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