Managing visitors in the Galapagos Islands:
monitoring and reporting public use as a key element of park management and tourism
Quito, April 30th 2015
M.Sc. Eddy Silva Naranjo
Director de Uso Público Dirección Parque Nacional Galápagos Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador
Ing. Juan Carlos Izurieta
Coordinador Observatorio de Turismo de Galápagos Ministerio de Turismo del Ecuador
Tourism in Galapagos: Evolution and management responses
Part A
Managing visitors in the Galapagos Islands: monitoring and reporting public use as a key element to park management and tourism
M.Sc. Eddy Silva Naranjo
Director de Uso Público Dirección Parque Nacional Galápagos Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador
esilva@galapagos.gob.ec
The Galapagos Tourism Timeline 2007
2005 Inclusion of public use zoning
SIMAVIS
2000 Monitoring system starts implementation 1996 Tourism carrying capacity (TCC) is implemented (Cifuentes et al)
1978 Itineraries are implemented
136k
1975 Interpretation system
79k 82k
80k
1974/1977 Visitor sites are defined
27k 16k
17k
1k Population
Cruise based tourists
1 2 3 1950
1960
1970
1980
4 1990
2000
Land based tourists
5
6 2005
7 2010
2015
2020
1
Public Use Zoning
6
2
GAST
Pressure abatement
Groups at the same time
SIMAVIS
5
M&E
3
Itineraries
Monitoring and evaluation
4 Communication
Education, environmental education, interpretation
REF.
2008. Reck.- Determinaci贸n de la Carga Aceptable de Visitantes de los Sitios de Visita del Parque Nacional Gal谩pagos, Actualizaci贸n del Sistema de Monitoreo y Ordenamiento
Public Use Zoning 6
Pressure abatement
5
M&E
1
Monitoring and evaluation
4 Communication
2
GAST
Groups at the same time
3
Itineraries
Education, environmental education, interpretation
Public Use Zoning Imp. Ab. M&E
1
GAST Itineraries
Zoning and planning
Comm.
GNP Zone: Ecosystem Restoration and Conservation GMR Zone: Limited Use 2.2 Subzone of Conservation and Non Extractive Use 2.3 Subzone of Conservation and Extractive and Non-Extractive Use NETWORK OF PUBLIC USE SITES Distance, Access, fragility, management, monitoring & infrastructure
CE
Rc
CI
IM
NI
R
CE
Rc
CI
IM
NI
R
Sites zoning Recreational and cultural Intensive Marine
Tortuga Bay
BartolomĂŠ
Alcedo
Restricted
1 Public Use Zoning
6
Pressure abatement
5
M&E
2
Monitoring and evaluation
4 Communication
GAST
Groups at the same time
3
Itineraries
Education, environmental education, interpretation
Public Use Zoning Imp. Ab. M&E
2 Comm.
GAST Itineraries
GAST
Groups at the same time
Acceptable number of groups (visitors) at the same time in the sites according to conditions such: site fragility, physical dimensions, accessibility, visitation dynamics, tour structure and social conditions.
1 Public Use Zoning
6
Pressure abatement
5
M&E
3
Monitoring and evaluation
4 Communication
2 GAST
Groups at the same time
Itineraries
Education, environmental education, interpretation
Past cruise Itineraries
New cruise Itineraries
Western itinerary Eastern itinerary
1 Public Use Zoning
6
Pressure abatement
5
M&E
Monitoring and evaluation
4
2 GAST
Groups at the same time
3
Itineraries
Communication
Environmental education, interpretation
Public Use Zoning Imp. Ab. M&E
4
GAST Itineraries
Communication
Communication
Education, environmental education, interpretation
500
naturalist guides
i
Interpretation plan
1 Public Use Zoning
6
Pressure abatement
M&E
Monitoring and evaluation
5 4 Communication
2 GAST
Groups at the same time
3
Itineraries
Environmental education, interpretation
Public Use Zoning Imp. Ab.
M&E
5
GAST Itineraries
Monitoring & evaluation
Communication
Indicators and standards Physical: erosion, trail width, alternate trails, vegetation trampling, garbage, fireplaces and graffiti Biological Indicators: Introduced species presence, diversity of biological features. Management and social indicators: N째 of encounters, behavior, occurrence of accidents and infrastructure conditions.
Responsible: DPNG staff | Naturalist guides, tour operators | volunteers Periodicity: DPNG staff: semester | Guides: weekly
1 Pressure abatement 5
M&E
Monitoring and evaluation
Public Use Zoning
6 4 Communication
2 GAST
Groups at the same time
3
Itineraries
Environmental education, interpretation
Public Use Zoning
Imp. Ab. M&E
6
GAST Itineraries
Pressure abatement
Communication
Direct: physical interventions at the visitors sites or in the organization of the visitors groups.
Wood retainers
Indirect: Technical decisions aiming at modifying the behavior of visitors
Micro zoning of the marine reserve
Trails re-design
Tourism in Galapagos: challenges for the new scenarios
Part B
Managing visitors in the Galapagos Islands: monitoring and reporting public use as a key element of park management and tourism
Juan Carlos Izurieta
Coordinador Observatorio de Turismo de Galรกpagos Ministerio de Turismo del Ecuador
jcizurieta@turismo.gob.ec
The Galapagos Tourism Timeline 136k 128k
+7%
CAGR 2007 - 2014 105k
106k 82k 79k
90k 83k
94k 81K 81k
80k
78k
76k
74k
80k
-0,7%
CAGR 2007 - 2014
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Cruise based tourists
2012
2013
2014
136k
Land based tourists
79k 82k
80k 27k
1k Population
1950
16k
17k
1960
1970
Cruise based tourists
1980
1990
2000
Land based tourists
2005
2010
2015
2020
The Galapagos Tourism Timeline 314 306
2,3X
208
Growth between 2010 to 2015
183 139
2010
151
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
136k
Hotels
79k 82k
80k 27k
1k Population
1950
16k
17k
1960
1970
Cruise based tourists
1980
1990
2000
Land based tourists
2005
2010
2015
2020
The Galapagos Tourism Timeline
2016 Proposal to adjust the monitoring tool – reviewing indicators
2015 New challenges for visitor monitoring and communication systems. Creation of the dashboards for decision making. 2014 Revision of Public Use Zoning, Range of Opportunities ZUP, and consequently Acceptable capacity of visitors | Hotel regulation plan 2012 Tools and system improvement 2007 SIMAVIS
136k
79k 82k
80k 27k
16k
17k
1k Population
Cruise based tourists
Land based tourists
7 1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2005
2010
8
9
10 2015
2020
The Galapagos Tourism Timeline
2016 Proposal to adjust the monitoring tool – reviewing indicators 260k
SIMAVIS
220k 160k
136k
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Total arrivals
2016 – 2019 Forecast
79k 82k
80k 27k
16k
17k
1k Population
Cruise based tourists
Land based tourists
10 1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
Lessons learned are constantly adapting SIMAVIS and creating new management tools (i.e. dashboards) in order to keep Galapagos as a sustainable tourism destination.
SIMAVIS
Population
1950
1960
1970
Cruise based tourists
1980
1990
2000
Land based tourists
2005
2010
2015
2020