The Galapagos Islands- Ecotourism Case Study

Environmental Benefits of ecotourism

Tour Operators Association has collected $83,000 in donations from tourists so far
Trips are restricted to 2 weeks for boats, this means that there is less damage as less people visit the sites
$25 of the $100 admittance fee goes to the preservation of the islands
Only ships for 10-16 people of permitted to lessen the risk of oil spills
Only 1% of the national park are land sites, so the rest is protected
Most accommodation is eco-friendly e.g Ecolodge built in 2011 from locally sourced materials
Ecolodge purchases most foods from local farms, reducing its carbon footprint

Benefits to the economy of ecotourism

In 2006 $143 million was generated from tourists
People are prepared to pay high costs when visiting
Local fisherman saw a 5% increase in their income due to hotels buying more of their fish
Many hotels are owned by local families, and employ many local people e.g as tour guides or park rangers

Benefits of ecotourism to the local people

Tourism creates jobs
Tourists can volunteer to stay a month and help educate local people- 65% of the money from this funds new resources
There are jewelry shops where tourists can buy locally made goods

	Created by a a about 10 years ago

AQA GCSE Human Geography Sustainable Eco Tourism Case Study

Galapagos Islands- Eco Tourism Case Study