From Pre-Pandemic to Post-COVID-19: Tracking Shifts in Visitors’ Profiles in Santa Cruz, Galapagos

Andrea Muñoz-Barriga (), Anna Öckler, Emilio Damian Andrade and Kevin Rojas
Additional contact information
Andrea Muñoz-Barriga: Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170525, Ecuador
Anna Öckler: Faculty of Economics and Business Management, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170525, Ecuador
Emilio Damian Andrade: Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170525, Ecuador
Kevin Rojas: Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170525, Ecuador

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-20

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted tourism systems worldwide, particularly ecologically sensitive and tourism-dependent regions such as the Galapagos Islands. This study investigated the impact of the pandemic on profiles of tourists visiting Santa Cruz Island by comparing an analysis from 2019 to data we gathered in 2021. Using survey-based data and cluster analysis, we identified significant shifts in tourist origin, travel modalities, and expenditure patterns. Results showed a marked increase in domestic tourism, with Ecuadorians becoming the dominant visitor group during the pandemic, primarily favoring land-based tourism and shorter stays. In contrast, international tourists remained present in niche, higher-spending segments associated with cruise-based and multi-island itineraries. These findings highlight a temporary yet meaningful transformation in the tourism dynamic, driven by changes in risk perception, economic factors, and policy restrictions. The emergence of these segments underscores the need for adaptive destination management strategies that align with sustainability goals, conservation priorities, and socioeconomic resilience. We also demonstrated the value of structured surveys as a cost-effective tool for evidence-based decision-making in resource-constrained settings.

Keywords: tourist profile; COVID-19 pandemic; Galapagos (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8302/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8302/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:18:p:8302-:d:1750453

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().