The Government Council of the Ecuadorian Galapagos Islands resolved to double the entry fee to that archipelago for foreign tourists, from 100 to 200 dollars, while for nationals it will be quintupled from 6 to 30 dollars.
This was resolved by the Governing Council of the Special Regime of Galapagos after a meeting of its plenary session held on Saturday and indicated that the entry fee for conservation to the protected areas in the archipelago, which will come into force in six months, had not been modified. in the last 26 years.
The plenary session of the Galapagos Government Council is made up of representatives of the central Executive of Ecuador and the municipalities of the three populated islands of the archipelago (San Cristóbal, Isabela and Santa Cruz), among others.
According to a statement from the Council released this Sunday, the decision to raise the rate responds to the objectives of “promoting a tourism model in accordance with the conservation actions already undertaken, generating citizen benefits and stabilizing the number of tourists arriving.” to the Ecuadorian insular province.
According to a Conservation Report on Properties Inscribed on the World Heritage List issued by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), “it is a priority to stabilize the growth in the volume of tourism to maintain well-being “both of the ecosystem and of the inhabitants of Galapagos.”
The objective of the strategy is «“promote tourism focused on sustainability and the ability to boost the local economy, thanks to the natural wonders that the islands offer, unique in the world.”specified the Government Council.
Likewise, he said that they seek to strengthen the management of the local governments of the archipelago, organizations that are responsible for the provision and efficient administration of water services, environmental sanitation, waste, tourist facilities and management of urban fauna, among others.
The source specified that to update the conservation income rate, factors such as “length of stay, age, disability status, tourism model, nationality or legal residence in the country” were considered.
He assured that the National Government promotes environmental, tourist and economic management focused on motivating development and balance in the Islands, recognized by UNESCO as a Natural Heritage of Humanity (1978) and a Biosphere Reserve (1984).
This archipelago also known as ‘The Enchanted Islands’ is located about a thousand kilometers west of the continental coasts of Ecuador and annually receives more than 260,000 tourists, 54% of them foreigners. EFE
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