Contribution short abstract

A critical discourse analysis of Galápagos tourism debates reveals how “regenerative tourism” policies—though framed as transformative—reproduce structural inequalities when divorced from power and participation, highlighting the need for justice-centered governance in tourism transitions.

Contribution long abstract

The Galápagos Islands have experienced a 260% increase in tourist arrivals over the past two decades, driven largely by the expansion of land-based tourism. In response to growing concern about overtourism in Galápagos—most notably from UNESCO—local authorities have adopted a strategy of “ecotourism with a regenerative focus” and introduced two landmark growth management policies in 2024: a significant visitor fee increase and a hotel regulation plan. While these measures appear aligned with regenerative tourism principles to move “beyond growth” in tourism, their implementation sparked widespread contestation and local protest. Drawing on a critical discourse analysis of radio interviews with national and local political actors, this chapter examines how these policies were framed, justified, and resisted in public debate. It argues that regenerative tourism, despite its transformative rhetoric, cannot succeed if implemented as a technocratic fix divorced from the political realities of power, representation, and equity. By bringing political ecology into conversation with regenerative tourism and degrowth, the chapter reveals how divergent visions of “ideal” tourism are tied to structural asymmetries in destination governance. The Galápagos case thus serves as a microcosm of the broader challenge facing regenerative tourism: without confronting the power structures that underlie tourism development, efforts to move “beyond growth” risk reinforcing the very inequalities they seek to dismantle. The chapter concludes by proposing a research agenda for regenerative tourism that centers power analysis, social justice, and participatory governance.