Galapagos Islands to start charging double for visiting the destination

20-03-24

Starting this year, tourists visiting the Galapagos Islands will have to pay double entry fees, amid concerns that rising visitor numbers are putting pressure on the ecologically sensitive destination.

The entry fee will increase from $100 to $200 for nationals of almost all countries, except for other members of the South American trade bloc Mercosur, which includes Argentina, Brazil and Peru.

Mercosur members will now have to pay $100 per person, up from $50 previously. Children under the age of two will be admitted free of charge, regardless of nationality. This is the first increase in Galapagos entry fees since 1998.

"The Galapagos Islands are not only a national treasure, but a world treasure. It is our collective responsibility to protect and preserve this unparalleled ecosystem for future generations," said Niels Olsen, Ecuador's Minister of Tourism, in a statement shared with the Galapagos Conservation Trust.

Olsen added that the additional money will go toward conservation efforts on the islands, which are located 1,000 kilometers off the coast of mainland Ecuador.

The Galapagos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are 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 Galapagos Islands, but about 170,000 tourists visit in a typical year.

The Galapagos Conservation Trust, a British charity dedicated to promoting conservation and sustainability on the islands, has warned of the ecological consequences of increased visitor numbers.

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 their conservation status. The report praised the Ecuadorian government for reducing illegal fishing and controlling the spread of invasive species, but had requested an update by 2024.

The destination's global profile could rise this year thanks to a new film, directed by Ron Howard, which explores a true story of scandal, sexual liberation and murder that unraveled on a Galapagos island in the 1930s. "Eden," to be released later this year, will star Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Kirby, Ana de Armas and Jude Law.