Sustainable Tourism in Galapagos

What you should know and what we do as a company

At Galapatours, we believe that tourism should be a force for good. The Galapagos Islands are one of the most unique and fragile ecosystems on Earth, and we are committed to ensuring that every cruise we offer supports its long-term protection. As a marketplace for Galapagos expedition cruises, we work only with operators who share our values and meet rigorous sustainability standards.

Why Sustainability in the Galapagos Matters So Much

Tourism is both a blessing and a challenge for the Galapagos Islands. On one hand, each visitor helps finance conservation: the National Park entrance fee alone generates over $20 million annually, directly funding protection of the land and marine reserves. On the other hand, tourism requires infrastructure: more housing, energy, food imports, and waste management. That's why it’s critical to make sure that every visit is as low-impact and beneficial as possible.

Galapagos: A Best-Practice Case of Sustainability

The Galapagos are one of the world’s clearest examples of how strict protection and tourism can reinforce each other. About 97% of the land is protected as Galapagos National Park, and the surrounding waters form a tightly regulated marine reserve. Park fees and permits from visitors finance conservation, while strict rules keep the impact as low as possible. Key elements that make Galapagos a best-practice case:

Every ship operates under a National Park license that limits where it can go and what it can do.

All itineraries are fixed and pre-approved, so the Park always knows which ship is at which visitor site.

Visitor sites, time slots and activities (landings, snorkeling, kayaking, diving) are capped per ship per day to protect wildlife.

All visits inside the National Park are in small groups, always accompanied by certified naturalist guides.

Biosecurity checks and regular patrols on land and at sea keep the system tightly monitored and enforced.

Good to know: We highlight each vessel's sustainability credentials transparently on its ship page under "Sustainability" and "Food & Drinks on Board".

Let Us Help You Pick The Most Sustainable Ship

We are not a tour operator. Instead, we help you compare and book Galápagos expedition cruises from over 60 licensed vessels, ranging from 16-passenger catamarans to 100-passenger ships. We vet every provider based on:

Environmental practices: fuel efficiency, waste and water management, sustainable sourcing
Park licensing and compliance with Galápagos National Park rules
Certified naturalist guides, trained and licensed by the Park Directorate
Community support, including hiring locally and fair labor practices

A First in the Galapagos: Our Sustainability Questionnaire for all ships

Kaum vorstellbar beim Anblick dieses ausgewachsenen Exemplares, doch als Babies sind Galapagosschildkröten beliebtes Schmugglergut.

In collaboration with the German tourism certification agency TourCert (we are TourCert certified ourselves), we have developed a comprehensive sustainability questionnaire—the first of its kind—to evaluate every ship we offer and to identify and support the ships that truly walk the talk. We regularly send this questionnaire to all vessels and their operating agencies. Based on their responses, we gain deeper insights into their sustainability efforts and make that information accessible to you. This groundbreaking initiative helps us distinguish truly sustainable operators from those who still have work to do.

Cruise Ships in Galapagos: Not What You Think

Sustainable tourism is at the heart of every Galapagos adventure. Unlike typical cruise destinations, the vast majority of vessels in the Galapagos are intimate yachts and catamarans carrying just 16 passengers or even fewer. The largest ship allowed in the archipelago accommodates only 100 guests—far from the floating cities seen elsewhere.

This strict limit on ship size is a key part of protecting the islands’ fragile ecosystems from the pressures of mass tourism. Smaller groups mean less environmental impact, more personal wildlife encounters, and the flexibility to explore remote sites that larger ships simply can’t reach. Additionally, we only work with cruise operators who:

Minimize single-use plastics on board
Recycle and treat waste water
Source food locally when possible

Responsible Travel: What You Can Do

You play a critical role in protecting the Galapagos. Here are a few simple but important rules:

Never go off-trail, and always stay with your certified guide
Don’t touch or feed wildlife, no matter how curious or close
Leave no trace: Take nothing, leave nothing
Don’t bring food to the islands, as this risks introducing invasive species
Choose licensed operators only—we make that easy for you

Your Trip Supports the V Social Foundation

The V Social Foundation is a non-profit organization that has been working to support community-based tourism groups for more than 20 years. With a focus on sustainability and local development needs, the foundation helps strengthen local communities in the places we visit, preserve their cultures, and partner with them on the path to self-management. Many of our trips include a donation to V Social, and our travelers have the opportunity to visit projects during their travels to witness the positive impact community-based tourism has on both travelers and host communities.

Our Team

Our team is a passionate, international group of travel enthusiasts who deeply care about the places we specialize in. We believe that living our values makes us better at what we do, which is why we regularly set aside time for company-wide initiatives. Our FUN days strengthen our team spirit through shared adventures, while FOCUS days allow us to tackle big projects together. Regular FAIR days give back to our communities—whether by supporting local charities or helping clean up the environment.

To ensure we stay true to our commitments, our dedicated CSR team meets regularly with representatives to review our practices and make sure we’re putting our values into action. We also work closely with the V Social Foundation and ensure that every decision we make, from the executive level to operations on the ground, is made with our commitment to responsible travel in mind.

We’re committed to work-life balance and invest in the personal and professional growth of our team, ensuring that passion and purpose drive everything we do. We live, breathe, and deliver on our values, and so do our suppliers and tour leaders. Improving the lives of the people we work with, those who work with us, and their families is paramount to us.

Your trip contributes to Ventura’s Conservation Project

A portion of your trip price goes toward Ventura’s Conservation Project, an initiative of the V Social Foundation launching in 2024. The conservation project will work with local people to give them ownership of their territory, protect the environment through reforestation and regeneration efforts, and prepare the community for taking over control of the project within five years. So, your trip contributes to environmental protection and truly shows how travel can be a force for good! Together, we’re developing something really special. Stay tuned for more details about how you are part of making a difference through tourism.

Your trip respects human rights

As an active member of the Round Table on Human Rights in Tourism for many years, we verify that for all our trips and our partners respect the legal provisions in terms of wages and employment, especially for young people. Moreover, through the V Social Foundation, we actively support local communities in defending human rights by promoting gender equality, building capacity for access to quality jobs, and strengthening cultural identity to prevent discrimination. See here: https://www.vsocialfoundation.org/what-we-do

TourCert sustainability certification

We are certified by TourCert and undergo a detailed review of all business areas every two years. TourCert GmbH is a non-profit organization for certifications in tourism and has set itself the task of promoting ecological, social, and economic corporate responsibility in tourism.

Member of Forum Anders Reisen

The Forum Anders Reisen e.V. is an association of travel companies that are committed to sustainable tourism. The travel experiences offered by their members are oriented towards people and the environment, use local resources carefully and purposefully, and treat foreign cultures with respect. The forum Anders Reisen was founded in 1998 and has around 130 members.

Get involved

Responsible travel is a way of life. Embracing sustainability not only ensures the preservation of natural wonders and local cultures, but also fosters a deeper appreciation for how interconnected we are with other people and the environment.

To find out more about our work, our style of travel, or how you can get involved, talk with your travel specialist.

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Accessibility Statement

At Galapatours, we are committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all users, including individuals with disabilities. We strive to adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards. Known Accessibility Limitations:

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We are actively working to address these issues. If you encounter any accessibility barriers, please contact us at [email protected].