Officials Study Measures to Protect Galapagos Islands

Ecuador recently announced it is evaluating the implementation of further measures aimed at protecting the Galapagos Islands--a UNESCO World Heritage site--from all activities that are deemed non-sustainable. Currently, all tourism activity in the Galapagos Islands is being carried out normally and in accordance with the current regulations that prioritize the conservation of the archipelago's eco-system. The announcement was made at a special meeting on the future of the islands. Some of the additional measures that the government is studying include further limiting tourism arrivals to the archipelago, and limiting the number of tourism permits. Ecuador's Ministry of Tourism also is currently developing Plandetur 2020, a master plan that will set guidelines regulating the tourism activity in all of Ecuador.