Galápagos Tourism Management Report 2025
What can Galápagos learn from tourism management in other destinations around the world?
Tools and lessons learned from seven case studies
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Galápagos Islands are a world-renowned conservation area and natural tourist destination. As such, they stand at a crossroads between increasing tourism pressures and the fundamental need to protect one of the planet’s most unique ecosystems. This report explores what the Galápagos can learn from tourism management strategies employed elsewhere in the world. Through a series of case studies from other destinations and a structured summary of management tools, the report offers a practical resource for tourism policymakers, other authorities, industry leaders, local communities, and other stakeholders in the future of tourism in the archipelago.
The report begins with a general overview of tourism management approaches and tools, including the SIMAVIS visitor management system used by the Galápagos National Park Directorate. In many respects, Galápagos has been a leader in regulating access through cruise ship quotas, itinerary scheduling, tourist guidance, and coordinated management of its protected areas. However, increasing pressures from land-based tourism, short-term rentals, and visitor numbers in sites adjacent to populated areas highlight the need for continued innovation and investment.
The remainder of the report comprises case studies of seven locations that, like the Galápagos Islands, are world-famous and affected by the pressures of tourism. Each case study provides brief background information on the destination, the visitor management tools used, their objectives, their effectiveness in managing the positive and negative impacts of tourism, and their relevance to the Galápagos Islands. Each case study concludes with a table summarizing key discussion points to stimulate and inform decision-making.
The list below highlights the main features of each case study, while the table at the end of the executive summary provides a quick reference to the tools used in each case.
Authors:
- Professor Chris Sandbrook, University of Cambridge
- Chloe King, University of Cambridge
- Robert Bensted-Smith, Talking Transformation
Citation: Sandbrook, C., King, C. and Bensted-Smith, R. 2025 What can Galápagos learn from tourism management in other destinations around the world? Tools and lessons learned from seven case studies. Charles Darwin Foundation.
