The #GalápagosIslands, off the coast of #Ecuador, are home to sea lions that sleep at bus stops & birds so tame you can touch them. It’s easy to see why Charles Darwin found the archipelago so special when he visited in 1835.
Since the pandemic, the islands have become more accessible to visitors because of rentals on Airbnb. Critics say that’s altering the #ecosystem.
#wildlife #MarineLife #conservation
nytimes.com/2025/09/21/busines…
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •In #PuertoAyora, the lone blip of civilization in the mostly uninhabited #Galápagos, coffee shops now serve matcha, & waterfront cafes catering to tourists offer freshly caught (#endangered) tuna. One recent morning on a white sand beach packed with tourists, close to the famed Charles Darwin Research Station, a 20-something Ecuadorean in his underwear poked at crabs with a stick & terrorized gulls while his girlfriend snapped selfies.
[revolting]#wildlife #MarineLife #conservation
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •Hoteliers, naturalists & other critics say the explosion of short-term rentals here alters the very #ecosystem that those thousands of visitors have come to see. (Most rentals are on Airbnb, but platforms like Vrbo, Booking.com & Expedia are also in the mix.) Many blame the new short-term rentals for attracting travelers who don’t know that 97% of this archipelago is a protected #NationalPark, & fail to respect #wildlife in this #UNESCO #WorldHeritage site.
#MarineLife #conservation
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •With visitors regularly chasing animals, drinking, & trashing beaches, many residents fear these islands are becoming the overrun Venice of the natural world.
Critics say the short-term rentals are able to fly under the radar & avoid complying with the #regulations that keep the islands pristine. In a statement, #Airbnb said its #Galápagos activity is “compliant with existing regulations,” & added that short-term rentals are “an unregulated category of accommodations in the Galápagos Islands.”
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •#Airbnb had been on the island before the pandemic, but according to the #Galápagos Hotel Association, there were only 56 listings in 2015 — & 350 in 2020.
By 2023, the world had restarted & revenge travel boomed. On the Galápagos, it nearly matched prepandemic levels, & now, Airbnb bookings were 50 percent higher than those for hotels, according to the Hotel Association.
#wildlife #MarineLife #conservation
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •Today, no one knows how many rentals there are, not even #Ecuador’s government. The islands’ hotel association has documented 1,364 Airbnbs this year compared with about 300 legal hotels, hostels & guest houses.
Ghost hotels have also sprung up: unmarked & #unregulated properties that advertise online, turning apartment blocks into hotels (with spas, gyms & uniformed staff).
#wildlife #MarineLife #conservation #Galapagos #Airbnb
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •