Home > Destinations > South
America > Galapagos
Islands > Regional
News > IGTOA Meeting in Galapagos
Thursday, June 01, 2000
IGTOA Meeting in Galapagos
International Galapagos Tour Operators Association
I recently attended the annual meeting of the International Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA), which was held in beautiful Santa Cruz, the Galapagos Islands. Our headquarters for the trip was the Flamingo, a sleek 20-passenger motor yacht and a perennial favorite among our Wildland Adventure travelers.
At the meeting, we touched upon many crucial topics that are directly related to the eco-tourism industry and its impact on the Galapagos Islands. This year we concentrated on conservation project funding requests, lobbying for the continued protection of the Galapagos marine reserve and last, but not least, instituting stringent boat safety standards. We also discussed conservation matters with officials from the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) and the Galapagos National Park, the two organizations which have the greatest impact on the protection of these fragile lands. Between meetings, we also inspected more than 15 boats and a slew of local hotels.
Despite the business at hand, we didnt come all the way to the Galapagos without having the chance to meet its infamous wild residents. Dinosaur like marine iguanas, spouting salt water from their nostrils, sunbathed along rocky beaches. I swam nose-to-nose with playful sea lions and penguins, snorkeled among a spectacular array of rainbow-hued fishes and saw a myriad of birds in one day, including the always comical blue-footed and red-footed boobies and the frigate birds, which displayed full red-throated sacs.
All in all, the meeting reflected the continued commitment of IGTOA member companies to the protection of the Enchanted Galapagos Islands. I can report first-hand that Wildland Adventures intrepid travelers are acknowledged locally for their continuing generous support of the Darwin Station; your contributions are making a significant impact in the preservation of some of the worlds most endangered species.
