Abstract

In order to make a critically evaluate of the cost and benefits of heritage tourism, this research explain the meaning to the important terms, describe the core of the heritage tourism, know the cost and benefits that a Heritage tourism destination have, explain the criteria that a tourism site need to considered a World Natural Heritage Site. The aim of this research is known about some important facts of Galapagos Islands, like as, the origin of the name, the date when this archipelago was part of to the World Heritage Site List, understand the cost and benefits of this natural heritage have. All this aimed to increase knowledge about tourism and better understand the laws of protection that has to the Galapagos Islands and the best way to raise awareness in national and international tourists about the care and importance of the different environments that make up these Enchanted Islands.

Keywords: World Heritage; Galapagos Islands;

Resumen

Con el fin de hacer una evaluación crítica del costo y los beneficios del turismo patrimonial, esta investigación explica el significado de los términos importantes, describe el núcleo del turismo patrimonial, conoce el costo y los beneficios que tiene un destino turístico patrimonial, explica los criterios que un sitio turístico debe ser considerado Patrimonio de la Humanidad. El objetivo de esta investigación es conocer algunos hechos importantes de las Islas Galápagos, como por ejemplo, el origen del nombre, la fecha en que este archipiélago fue parte de la Lista de Sitios del Patrimonio Mundial, comprender el costo y los beneficios que tiene este patrimonio natural. Todo esto tuvo como objetivo aumentar el conocimiento sobre el turismo y comprender mejor las leyes de protección que tiene a las Islas Galápagos y la mejor manera de concientizar a los turistas nacionales e internacionales sobre el cuidado e importancia de los diferentes entornos que componen estas Islas Encantadas.

Palabras Claves: Patrimonio de la Humanidad; Islas Galápagos; Patrimonio Mundial.

Resumo

A fim de fazer uma avaliação crítica dos custos e benefícios do turismo patrimonial, esta pesquisa explica o significado dos termos importantes, descreve o cerne do turismo patrimonial, conhece os custos e benefícios que tem um destino turístico patrimonial, explica os critérios que um sítio turístico precisa ser considerado um Patrimônio Mundial Natural. O objetivo desta pesquisa é conhecer alguns fatos importantes das Ilhas Galápagos, como como, a origem do nome, a data em que este arquipélago fazia parte da Lista de Patrimônios da Humanidade, compreender os custos e benefícios que este patrimônio natural possui. Tudo isso com o objetivo de aumentar o conhecimento sobre o turismo e entender melhor as leis de proteção que tem as Ilhas Galápagos e a melhor forma de conscientizar os turistas nacionais e internacionais sobre o cuidado e a importância dos diferentes ambientes que compõem estas Ilhas Encantadas.

Palavras-chave: Patrimônio da Humanidade; Ilhas Galápagos; Património Mundial.

Introducción

Heritage is the study of past events that were passing on from one generation and producing knowledge and identity. (Ong, 2010) When we talk about heritage, we refer valued objects, cultural tradition, histories, historic buildings, natural areas, the way that people made some things in the past, the ancestral languages, this things are very important in the development of a country, because is their history, all of this things make them attractive and valuable. With pass of the time, the people put more importance in heritage, the sustainability of heritage are increasing, in the actually, the people try to conserve and appreciate more their origins, protects their cultural, natural and historic resources, and all of this is part the heritage tourism. (Tourism et al., 2016) The connection that heritage and tourism have is very important and relevant, because together have a responsibility to the community, heritage tourism educated the residents and visitors to understand the importance of heritage. This relationship is very dynamic and harmonics, for the reasons to protect and transmitted to future generations that the culture of the communities is unique and authentic, with conservation activities and tourism promotion programs they can managed a sustainable way to save the present and conserve to future. (Manrique, Jamal, & Warden, 2016)

“A civilization is a heritage of beliefs, customs, and knowledge slowly accumulated in the course of centuries, elements difficult at times to justify by logic, but justifying themselves as paths when they lead somewhere, since they open up for man his inner distance.” (Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1942)

Heritage tourism is a solid factor in the tourism industry in developing countries and there is a significant growth of the economy. The Heritage Tourism help community to improve their quality of life, because promote the tourism in this area and with this the community create new jobs, encourage of creative to the entrepreneurs for attract for tourist, increase revenue and taxes, make more diversification in the service industry, get a better education in the interest of preserve heritage and ethic. (Tourism et al., 2016) The community need to explain to visitors the important to understand and respect the character that define a features of a historic places or a natural area, need no safe their local historic and natural resources in term of preservation. Despite this, if a heritage place is publicity owned and managed the site needs the site manager will still to need stakeholders and authorities help. Is important to involved stakeholders in the planning of a heritage site, because their provide the opportunity to share some information, increase commitment, gain their knowledge and engender collective responsibility, with this actions, the stakeholders help to protect and enhance the authentic and integrity the property’s heritage values. (Timothy & Boyd, 2006) (Byrd, 2007)

Development

The valuing the cost and benefits provided Natural World Heritage is so important, because help to the community to keep and are their heritage site, to measure the impact of the heritage policy or legislation, to support small business to expand, control visitors groups and make the opportunity to be dynamic and may involve conflicting values for making their experience satisfying and enjoyable. (Henry & E-mail, 2011) (Garrod, 2013) Using the cost and benefits analysis in helping to decide which heritage touristic place to conserve and protect reduce the risk to waste some resources on the conservation of places with low heritage values, in compared of those with highest heritages values. The analysis of the cost and benefits of a heritage site is useful role in the conservation and helping to prioritise the portfolio of the different heritage sites, and giving to the community the outcomes it seek and is willing to pay for, promote the transparency and comparability, give to the community a wide perspective. For this reason is critical to do this analysis in all heritage touristic sites, is a way that community can improve them with the only objective to attract new tourist and produce more income and thus help in the development of all citizens. (Conradin & Hammer, 2016)

Galapagos Islands is located in the Pacific Ocean at 800-1000 km from continental Ecuador in South America, is one of the 24 provinces in which is divided politically the Republic of Ecuador, it was discovering by Charles Darwin in 1835, this archipelago was his inspiration for theory of evolution. Galapagos is composed of 129 islands, islets, and rock; of which 19 are large but only in four people leave. (Planet, 2012) This archipelago has the confluence of three oceans currents and for this reason is a “melting pot” of marine species, and have a tropical weather for this reason is considered one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world. The islands are the volcanic origin, and that explain why in Galapagos find a development of unusual and unique flora and fauna, such as huge cacti, endemics tree, land iguana, giant tortoise, blue-footed booby, sea lions, flightless cormorants, and many different subspecies of mockingbirds and finches. Galapagos Island have it name because when the Spanish came there, they looked the giant tortoise and compared their shell with a kind of furniture that in Spain had in this time. Because these islands have the confluence of three oceans currents, have a wonderful underwater wildlife with generous life ranging from dazzling corals, the most northerly species of penguin in the world, marine mammals, and stunning sharks (it is possible to swim with small shark, which name is “tintoreras”). In Galapagos, around 30,000 people live in there and one million tourists annually visit the Galápagos Islands, generate approximately $300 million to enter in the archipelago.

The archipelago of Galapagos was declared National Park in 1959 and a Natural World Heritage Site on September 8, 1978 by the Committee of Heritage of UNESCO. This archipelago was the first site included in this distinguished list and one of the few natural sites meet to the four criteria established by the organization to get this designation. (Ministry of Environment, 2016) The UNESCO considered these four criteria to put the Galapagos National Park as a World Heritage Site: this archipelago contains superlative natural phenomena and areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance, being on the eminent examples of ecological and biological processes in the course of evolution of ecosystems, contain the most representative and important biodiversity conservation in natural habitats, being one of the representative examples of major stages in the story. (Centre, 2016) (Centre, 2016) The UNESCO also declared Galapagos like a Marine Reserve with approximately 50,100km², making this archipelago one of the largest marine reserve in the world, on December 2, 2011. Thankful to those designations, the archipelago’s worldwide significance for science and nature conservation and this reputation like a tourism destination, attracted the interests of the international organizations. Nevertheless, that produced an increased tourism in the islands, demographic growth, illegal fishing, and animal trafficking, and introduction of invasive species that caused a big damage in Galapagos for this reason the UNESCO put this natural heritage in the World Heritage Site in Danger in 2007. As result of this the Ecuadorian Government put more attention and care in this province and implement some tourism programs with the main propose to make aware the care of this beautiful region, achieving to take out the islands of the list in 2010. ("Evolution for World Heritage: The Galapagos Islands National Park | Environment & Society Portal", 2016)

Galapagos Island is one of the main touristic destinations that Ecuador has, not mention the most important, for this reason, the Ecuadorian government is interest in the economic development of the islands. The government create different programs to conserve and preserve the environment in the archipelago, like a zoning system, which establish areas of sustainable use and areas prohibited to tourist and local population with the propose to care the flora and fauna of the islands. The zoning system imposes some limitations in the population and tourist because they cannot have access to some beautiful places, but they understand that, as this is the way to conserve the natural resources sustainably. Another action that the government implement was a master plan to concentrate on the touristic and economic development, but with this plan, they cannot be able to address all the problems on the islands, therefore some problems need to be monitored and analysed constantly to reinforce strategies to minimize impact. The government includes tools for conservation and development management of natural environment and resources in harmony with international standards. In addition, all of this is paid with a small percentage from international donation and the entry fee that tourist need to pay for visit Galapagos Islands, because is the only National Park in Ecuador that tourists need to pay for visit it. . (Ministry of Environment, 2016)

Figure 1. The Cost/Benefit framework

In Figure 1 we observe a framework developed by PricewaterhouseCoopers, where indicate the costs related to marketing, infrastructure and the experience of tourists are directly linked in function of planning, control, administration, monitoring with education, tourism, social capital, regeneration and conservation of tourist heritage. The methodology allows the measurement of flow as less tangible benefits that take a value of a complementary good or service where there is a market value. (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2007)

Results

If we talk about the cost and benefits in Galapagos, all the incomes generated by tourist is used in its highest percentage in creates enjoyable opportunities for tourists and local population to attracted them to the history, cultural arts and preservation the environment which tourism promotion programs with the purpose of make aware in the care of the natural and cultural heritage characteristics. Furthermore, those incomes are used in improve the community´s image, provides research, education and work-placement opportunities for local students. Parts of those incomes are used to restoration or maintained of the touristic sites. The benefits of the heritage tourism protection in Galapagos are showing the public goods with a high quality in protect community life and in their environment, and that justifies the government steps and politicises to promote supply. The principal that Galapagos has about the uses of their benefits is maintaining a balance and harmony with the community, and this is important they stimulate local economy and support sustainable development. The government improve to create locally based networks of products and services, build a strong strategic partnership between local actors and agency that have the objective to care the heritage. Although this, they minimize the consumption of fossil fuels in all tourisms activities, minimize the pollution water, solid waste, and impacts on the landscape. (Mejía & Brandt, 2015) (Mathis & Rose, 2016)

Table 1. Variables analyzed

Country	First-hand	Guide	Restrict # of visitors	Educational Opp.	Environment policy	Protect flora & fauna	Financial contribution to conservation
Ecuador	100%	100%	100%	40%	100%	60%	40%
UK	100%	100%	100%	100%	50%	50%	100%
USA	100%	100%	100%	100%	62%	38%	75%
Sample	100%	100%	100%	80%	73%	47%	67%

We can see in Table 1, how the operators offer interpretive guides restricting the number of visitors on the tours for each activity in the Galapagos National Park, requiring specialized guides accompanying tourists within the park on their tours with small groups of tourists. Ecuadorian tour operators indicated on their websites environmental policies on conservation in the Galapagos Islands, while 62% of US-based companies and 50% of UK companies provided a policy. 38% of US-based companies provided specific measures to protect wildlife and flora on the journey; Half of UK companies identified measures, and 60% of Ecuadorian companies identified practices on tours to protect flora and fauna. (Self, Self, & Bell-Haynes, 2010)

Figure 2. Variables analyzed

Galapagos is one of the most beautiful tourist destinations, which for this natural scenery and extroverted fauna and flora, and for this reason, the archipelago could join the list of World Heritage List. This nomination motivated both, residents of the islands as the Ecuadorian government, to implement care programs the environment and heritage, as approximately half of the population lives on tourisms.

Conclusions

The incomes of visit and help for UNESCO increase monthly and this way citizens can obtain and improve their profits, because they aware that the care and protection the islands improve their lifestyle and thus leave an adequate environment for future generations to enjoy it and take care of him. The benefits of being a heritage improve the islands in a new levels of conservation, tourism, partnership, civic pride, education and learning and so on. For this reason, being in the list of Natural World Heritage Site made this amazing islands one of the most visited, not just for tourism but also for scientific studies, giving a main reason to protect, conservate and care their natural and cultural heritage.

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