Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands Struggle With New Over-tourism As Airbnb Expands, Threatening Environmental Sustainability

Published on September 22, 2025

The Galápagos Islands, 1 of nan astir unsocial and ecologically delicate places connected Earth, is facing nan challenges of over-tourism arsenic visitant numbers proceed to climb. Airbnb, a celebrated accommodation platform, has go a cardinal subordinate successful nan region’s increasing tourism sector, but its accelerated description has raised concerns among locals and conservationists alike. While immoderate spot Airbnb arsenic a measurement for section residents to use financially, others fearfulness that nan surge successful short-term rentals is harming nan vulnerable situation that makes nan islands truthful special.

The Rise of Airbnb successful nan Galápagos

Since its early days successful nan Galápagos, Airbnb has seen accelerated growth. In 2015, location were conscionable 56 listings; by 2020, that number had surged to 350. Today, much than 1,300 Airbnbs are listed, compared to astir 300 ineligible hotels. This displacement has led to nan translator of section properties, pinch immoderate buildings being wholly converted into “ghost hotels”, which run without nan aforesaid biology aliases operational oversight arsenic accepted hotels.

One of nan driving forces down nan description of Airbnb successful nan region is Alicia Ayala, who proudly calls herself nan “queen of Airbnb” successful nan municipality of Puerto Ayora. Ayala rents retired 3 apartments successful nan area, offering options ranging from fund rooms astatine $8 per night to much luxurious apartments priced astatine $120 per night. For her, Airbnb has made nan islands much accessible to a wider scope of travelers, including those who whitethorn not different spend nan precocious prices typically associated pinch nan region’s hotels and resorts.

The Impact of Airbnb connected Local Communities

For galore locals, Airbnb is seen arsenic an opportunity to pat into nan booming tourism marketplace and gain much-needed income. In places for illustration Puerto Ayora, wherever astir visitors guidelines themselves during their trips, Airbnb hosts tin make a important surviving by offering affordable lodging to tourists. For residents, this economical use tin beryllium a invited replacement to nan precocious costs of surviving associated pinch nan tourist-driven economy.

However, critics reason that nan rapid maturation of short-term rentals successful nan area is exacerbating nan challenges of over-tourism. While galore of nan Airbnb hosts are local, nan maturation of nan marketplace has led to competition pinch existing hotels, which often look higher operational costs and are required to travel strict regulations related to sustainability, conservation, and biology protection. In contrast, Airbnbs are often not subjected to nan aforesaid levels of oversight and regulation, allowing them to run pinch less restrictions.

Environmental Concerns and Over-Tourism

The emergence of Airbnb is not nan only facet contributing to nan strain connected nan Galápagos Islands. The increasing number of visitors, presently estimated to beryllium 300,000 annually, is pushing nan region’s infrastructure to its limits. While tourism is basal to nan section economy, it comes pinch biology consequences. Much of nan Galápagos is protected land, pinch 97% of nan islands designated arsenic a national park. However, galore visitors are unaware of nan value of maintaining these protected areas. Activities specified arsenic chasing oversea lions, littering beaches, and disturbing autochthonal vertebrate populations person been reported arsenic increasing issues.

The operation of expanding tourer numbers and nan increasing prominence of Airbnb has raised questions astir whether nan Galápagos Islands tin proceed to accommodate visitors without damaging nan very ecosystem that makes nan region unique. Many experts reason that nan authorities must instrumentality much stringent controls to equilibrium nan economical benefits of tourism pinch nan semipermanent preservation of nan islands.

Hotel Owners vs. Airbnb Hosts: A Growing Divide

Traditional hotel owners person voiced concerns astir nan disparity betwixt nan operational costs they incur and nan much relaxed standards nether which Airbnb properties operate. Hotels are often required to travel strict guidelines connected sustainability, conservation, and environmental impact, while Airbnb hosts are only expected to lend to nan local VAT of 15%. While nan tourism curate has acknowledged that nan Galápagos economy is fragile, edifice owners reason that nan existent strategy places an unfair load connected those who adhere to nan rules, while Airbnb hosts bypass nan aforesaid costs, contributing little to conservation efforts.

This increasing disagreement betwixt accepted hotels and nan expanding Airbnb market is creating hostility successful nan community, pinch immoderate emotion that nan benefits of tourism are not being distributed equitably. The tourism curate has called for a zero-growth argumentation to protect nan environment, but nan government’s actions person been constricted owed to nan governmental landscape. In fact, nan caller merger of nan Ministry of Environment pinch nan Ministry of Energy and Mines has raised concerns among environmentalists, who fearfulness that conservation is nary longer a apical priority.

Striking a Balance: The Future of Tourism successful nan Galápagos

The Galápagos Islands find themselves astatine a crossroads. On 1 hand, tourism plays a pivotal domiciled successful supporting nan section economy. On nan other, unchecked tourism maturation could lead to irreversible harm to nan islands’ delicate ecosystem. The authorities has been encouraged to create much sustainable tourism practices that guarantee early generations tin bask nan beauty and biodiversity of nan Galápagos Islands.

UNESCO has already suggested a zero-growth attack for tourism, recommending that nan islands trim nan number of visitors to support nan integrity of nan environment. However, arsenic nan statement betwixt economic growth and conservation intensifies, uncovering a mediate crushed that satisfies some interests remains challenging. If steps aren’t taken to modulate nan maturation of Airbnb and different tourer accommodations, nan islands whitethorn look a business akin to Venice, wherever over-tourism has made nan metropolis progressively uninhabitable for locals.

A Critical Decision for nan Galápagos Islands

The ongoing challenges successful nan Galápagos Islands raise questions astir really nan world’s astir treasured earthy spaces tin equilibrium nan pressures of modern tourism pinch nan request for biology preservation. With Airbnb’s accelerated description and nan expanding number of visitors, nan islands whitethorn soon look a captious decision: proceed to prioritize economic growth done tourism aliases return decisive steps to protect nan situation and civilization that make nan Galápagos Islands a UNESCO World Heritage site.

For now, nan statement continues, and it remains to beryllium seen whether a discuss tin beryllium reached that allows local communities to use from tourism, while ensuring nan Galápagos remains a sustainable and protected earthy wonder for early generations.