The Galapagos Island: Darwin’s Description
The Galapagos Island is a cluster of volcanic islands situated in the Pacific Ocean. Charles Darwin explored the island after discovering local animal inhabitants. Darwin described the island as fields made up of basaltic lava. According to Darwin, the ground had various cracks or crevices, which led him to describe the island as ‘broken’. At first, Darwin believed the island was uninhabited due to limited vegetation but as he explored the island, he discovered its rich biodiversity (Nagle, 1999). The Galapagos Islands are “famed for their rich biodiversity and unique species of iguana, sharks, blue and red-footed boobies, penguins, giant tortoises, and the palo alto tree” (Nagle, 1999, p. 60). Darwin argued that species on the island are unique because they were able to survive on their own without the influence of species from other places. It is for this reason that the government of Ecuador declared the group of islands as a national park in 1959, which should be subjected to preservation (Nagle, 1999).
Tourism Development in the Galapagos Islands
Over the years, tourism demand has transformed the Galapagos Islands into one of the top destinations for travelers. As a result, tourism continues to contribute to economic growth on the island. Tourism development on the island followed four stages. The first phase occurred in the 1960s when tourists began taking interest in traveling to the island. Tour packages then primarily involved overnight boat tours. Local businesses limited tours to overnight trips for tourists to limit the impact of tourism on the environment. Moreover, local businesses were only able to offer such services to tourists due to the lack of infrastructure on the island. In the 1980s, the increasing rate of tourist activity on the island fueled infrastructure development. Many businesses diverted their attention to local investments and put up hotels and other infrastructure to cater to tourists. As a result, the number of tourists continued to increase. By the 1990s, various interest groups expressed concern over the growing number of tourists on the island and its impending impact on the environment. Many groups sought to control tourism growth by limiting tourist activity to overnight boat tours. Local businesses, on the other hand, adopted new business models to limit tourist activities on the island. Businesses favored tourists from the upper class market segment. Hence, businesses engaged in selective tourism through which they merely accommodated segments under luxury tourism. Since 1998, infrastructure development continued to grow to accommodate tourists on the island. Land-based tourism became the trend and tourists had more choices aside from overnight boat tours (Walsh & Mena, 2012).
As formerly noted, tourism is one of the primary drivers of the local economy in the Galapagos Islands. Nonetheless, despite the economic contributions of tourism, analysts and experts in sustainability argue that the current model of tourism development being applied in the Galapagos Islands threatens the locale’s socio-environmental system (Walsh & Mena, 2012). Since the tourism boom on the island in the 1970s, the population of locals on the island increased over the years. In 1950, there were only about 1,350 residents on the island. Nonetheless, since aggressive tourism development initiatives on the island, the local population increased by 8 percent annually. Overall, all aspects increased including local population, number of tourists that arrive every year, and the number of infrastructure built on the island. It came to a point of threatening proportions to the environment due to impending saturation of human activity (Nagle, 1999).
Over the years, researchers have noticed the gradual decline of marine life on the island due to poor environmental conditions. Pollution is one of the main reasons why marine life is in decline on the islands. To get to the island, tourists take boats or ferries from Ecuador. Although some businesses have adopted ecologically friendly modes of transportation for tourists, most businesses do not follow these standards. Non-fuel efficient boats pollute the surrounding waters and contribute to the deaths of marine life on the islands (Batta, 2000). Aside from water transportation that pollutes the water, untreated water from infrastructure on the islands such as hotels, inns, and food service restaurants also pollute the water (Batta, 2000). Interest groups also argue that increasing tourism on the islands has significantly changed the growth and interaction of animals inhabiting the islands. Tourists that visit the island introduce new plant and animal species on the island, which then interact with native species. This exchange poses danger on the survival of native species because new species could introduce parasites that would affect the growth of native plants and animals (Weaver, 2001).
Experts also argue that island hopping, a common activity among tourists in the Galapagos Islands, is threatening the environment. Tourists prefer island hopping activities because it allows them closer access to beaches and other island attractions. When tourists engage in island hopping, businesses can also keep them engaged in other activities that generate profit. Nonetheless, growing interest in island hopping is also contributing to the increasing rate of tourists visiting the island. Tourism growth is observed to have brought about “habitat destruction, increasing pollution, overfishing, invasive species, and diseases directly and indirectly due to the need to satisfy the needs of tourism” (Denkinger & Vinueza, 2014, p. 93). Some locals also take advantage of tourism by selling commodities that are illegal such as black coral souvenirs (Boniface & Cooper, 2009). Some locals also engage in overfishing or captive breeding of marine animals for tourists. Although these contribute to socio-economic stability among locals, they endanger marine life and could cause animal extinction. Furthermore, due to the promise of financial gains, many immigrants migrate to the Galapagos Islands to engage in illicit activities (Boniface & Cooper). Overall, the situation and conditions in the Galapagos Islands are detrimental to the survival of native species and threaten environmental sustainability. Sustainability issues in the islands also need urgent attention. In 2007, the Galapagos Islands was included in the ‘World Heritage Sites in Danger’, prompting interest groups and stakeholders to develop and improve ecotourism activities and practices.
Developing Eco-Tourism in the Galapagos Islands
Denkinger and Vinueza (2014) argue that although tourism has brought about negative effects in the Galapagos Islands, the government, businesses, and locals could still combat these undesirable outcomes. Denkinger and Vinueza suggest initiatives to either limit the number of tourists, reduce the carbon footprint of both tourists and businesses on the island, or reduce the impact of human activities on flora and fauna on the island. Recommendations include the use of environment-friendly transportation, specifically fuel efficient boats and ferries, as well as land transportation such as bicycles. Bicycles not only reduce carbon emission but also help locals and tourists improve their health. Denkinger and Vinueza also suggest that airlines contribute to ecotourism on the island by limiting the number of flights to the Galapagos Islands. Businesses on the island should also contribute to ecotourism by developing better management practices to reduce interaction between tourists and animals on the island, fishing activities, and the installation of better water treatment facilities to ensure that water wastes do not pollute the waters and kill marine life (Denkinger & Vinueza).
Other interest groups also recommended various practices to develop and maintain ecotourism in the Galapagos Islands. These recommendations were included in the ‘Special Law for the Galapagos’, a legislation that was enacted in 1998 by the Ecuadorian government. Points for sustainable development and ecotourism include the collaboration between organizations towards the conservation of natural resources in the island. The legislation also suggests that businesses do away with traditional business models and adopt nature tourism instead. Through nature tourism, businesses need not construct man-made infrastructure that would harm the environment. INGALA, a planning agency, should also lead and oversee tourism development initiatives on the island. Standards for tourism development exist to regulate activities and to ensure that all operations and practices promote ecotourism and sustainability. INGALA is responsible for ensuring that businesses and operators follow these standards. Another way to promote ecotourism is to limit population growth on the island. The government should implement laws to limit immigration to the island. Organizations that maintain sustainability and ecotourism such as the GNPS also need funds to continue operations. If businesses donate a certain percentage of tourist fees to the organization, then it would be able to continue its operations. The government should also be involved in preventing the impact of activities on animals and plant species on the island. This is to ascertain their continued survival despite tourist activities on the islands. Overall, the legislation requires collaboration between the public, private, and voluntary sectors to develop and strictly implement laws, policies, and regulations for sustainability (Boniface & Cooper, 2009).
Boyce (2004) suggests that sustainability and ecotourism are also the public’s concern. Tourists must also exercise a sense of responsibility when visiting destinations such as the Galapagos Islands. As formerly noted, human activity is one of the main factors that affect plant and animal life on the island and disrupt the socio-environmental system in the Galapagos Islands. Responsible tourism is highly important so tourists would know how to conduct themselves when visiting the island. To achieve this object, the Ecuadorian government and businesses must think of ways to spread awareness about the Galapagos Islands’ precarious situation. In this way, tourists would know the dangers and detrimental impact of tourism activities on plant and animal life. Consequently, they would know what activities to avoid when visiting the islands. Overall, sustainability and ecotourism in the Galapagos Islands must be a concerted effort on the part of all stakeholders to ensure that tourism not only contributes to economic development but also maintains environmental sustainability.
References
Batta, R. N. (2000). Tourism and the environment: A quest for sustainability with special reference to developing countries, and policy analysis and Himachal Pradesh. New Delhi: Indus Publishing.
Boniface, B. G. & Cooper, C. (2009). Worldwide destinations. Oxford, UK: Elsevier.
Boyce, B. (2004). A traveler’s guide to the Galapagos Islands. New York, NY: Hunter Publishing.
Denkinger, J. & Vinueza, L. (2014). The Galapagos marine reserve: A dynamic social-ecological system. New York, NY: Springer Science & Business Media.
Nagle, G. (1999). Tourism, leisure and recreation. Cheltenham, UK: Nelson Thornes.
Walsh, S. J. & Mena, C. F. (2012). Science and conservation in the Galapagos Islands: frameworks and perspectives. New York, NY: Springer Science & Business Media.
Weaver, D. B. (2001). The encyclopedia of ecotourism. UK: CABI.
