Galapagos Islands, Ecuador: Protest against foreign investment in hotels, golf courses

theecologist.org / Galápagos rebellion against foreign investment in hotels, golf courses, luxury tourism

Residents of Ecuador’s Galápagos islands are mounting angry protests against government plans to open the World Heritage Site to foreign investment in luxury tourism and hotels, writes Jane Shaw. They fear for the fragile ecology of the islands, for water shortages caused by golf courses and swimming pools, and for their livelihoods which depend on current ‘low intensity’ tourism.

Residents stand up for the ecosystems on which they depend

It’s not the human population demanding more services and concessions, to the detriment of the environment. It’s the residents who are warning that the government is set to destroy the ecosystem.

In 2007 UNESCO classed the Galápagos Islands as a world heritage site in danger, due to the threats of a huge population increase, increasing tourism and the invasive non-native species these visitors inevitably bring with them. The ‘in danger’ status was removed in 2010, mainly due to the efforts of the National Park Service and the government of President Rafael Correa. Read Article

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