The entry fee to the Galapagos National Park has doubled—it’s the first increase in 26 years. International visitors will now pay $200, up from $100.
The new entry fee is set to bring in $40 million per year for long-term
conservation and the local community. Sustainable-tourism focused company, Metropolitan Touring, applauds the increase. “To us,” said Paulina Burbano de Lara, CEO of Metropolitan Touring, in a press release statement, “the fee increase reflects the positive commitment shown by the Ecuadorian government for long-term conservation of the Galapagos Islands. We see it as a commitment to safeguarding the fragile, singular ecosystem of the islands to benefit future generations. The fee increase is inextricably linked to the wellbeing of the surrounding local community.”
By comparison, high-season entrance fees per person per day run $285 at Masai Mara National Reserve, $100 at Bhutan and $82.60 at Serengeti National Park, according to the global forecasting agency Globetrender.
The Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) also applauds the move, noting, “This change is something that has been discussed for many years, supported by GCT and many others, and we strongly believe that this is a positive decision by the Ecuadorian authorities, both for the unique wildlife of Galapagos and for the tourism industry that depends on it. Recent years have seen worrying growth in the number of visitors to the islands, driven by a sharp increase in land-based tourism. This is pushing waste management systems to the limit, exacerbating water and food insecurity, and increasing the threat of devastating invasive species being introduced to the Islands.”
Entry Fee Will Help in Preservation of Galapagos
The proceeds will be divvied up, with 45 percent going to the Galapagos National Park Directorate, 25 percent to municipal governments, 20 percent to the Galapagos Governing Council, 5 percent to Parish Councils of the Province, and 5 percent to the Galapagos Biosafety and Quarantine Regulation and Control Agency.
“The Galapagos Islands are not only a national treasure but a global one. It is our collective responsibility to protect and preserve this unparalleled ecosystem for future generations,” said Niels Olsen, Ecuador’s former Minister of Tourism. “The adjustment in the entry fee, the first since 1998, is a necessary measure to ensure that tourism in the Galapagos remains sustainable and mutually beneficial to both the environment and our local communities.”
