Galapagos Ecotourism

Galapagos

Charles Darwin

The Ecotourism Boom

“Darwin did not change the islands, only people’s opinion of them”

-- Kurt Vonnegut Pg. 155

•Regulations

•Local appreciation, participation, and incentive

•Local skills

•Conservation institutions

•Coordination

•Population size

The Special Law

Weighing the Benefits

“What we have here is an unsustainable model of development.”

-- Graham Watkins, Executive director of the Charles Darwin

Foundation Pg. 126

Discussion

New Zealand

Action Plan

Galapagos “can be damaged incredibly easily - like spilling a cup of coffee on

the ‘Mona Lisa’”-- Jonathan Weiner (128)

The Jessica Oil

Spill

What are the implications of Galapagos not having a fully developed program to minimize impact from disasters such as the Jessica Oil Spill, like New Zealand does?

What do you think the different organizations in the Galapagos could do better / different?

Do you think more attention should be drawn in the media to the political / environmental issues in the Galapagos?

What are the implications of the media reframing Galapagos from an environment with a lot of political / social tension, to simply a perfect environment for a fun trip?

Galapagos has been “heralded as a model, a beacon light on the road to sustainable

and sound ecotourism” -- Pg. 155

Based on the ideas we’ve presented and your previous engagement with these issues, do you think Galapagos is a good model for sustainable and sound tourism?

What should the relationship be between the government of Galapagos and the independent organizations helping to protect the environment?

Who do you think is responsible for the protection of the environment of the Galapagos?