What is the purpose for this resolution?
According to Niels Olsen, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism in a statement shared with the Galapagos Conservation Trust “The Galapagos Islands are not only a national treasure but a global one. Therefore, it is our global collective responsibility to protect and preserve this unparalled ecosystem for future generations”.
This amid concerns that an increase of tourists is putting pressure on the delicate ecosystem of the Enchanted Islands, also know as the Living Laboratory of Evolution.
New entry fees
Entry fee will increase from US$ 100 to US$ 200 for a large part of foreign countries, with the exception of nationals of the Southern Common Market, which includes Brazil, Argentina and Peru.
In this context, Mercosur full members will now have to pay an entrance fee of US$ 100 per person. Children under age two have free entry, regardless of nationality.
What will the entry fee increase be used for?
According to Olsen, the additional money will go toward conservation efforts for the archipelago, located 1,000 kilometers off the coast of Ecuador. On the islands and their surroundings, almost 9,000 species are found, many of them endemic.
Want to know more about recent events in the Galapagos Islands? We invite you to take a look to the following blogs:
