In 2000, 68,856 tourists visited Galapagos. In 2008 there were over 170,000. Many took cruise ships to visit the protected areas, while others visited the ports and rural inhabited areas. The control of tourism activities, both at sea and on land, is the responsibility of the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park.

The Directorate of the Galapagos National Park controls compliance with routes and flow of visitors according to the acceptable allowance established for each visitor site, and the corresponding regulations.

Each month, control of vessels, which are licensed to operate in protected natural areas of the Galapagos, is put into effect. The park rangers are responsible for verifying that the established rules are fully met: itineraries for visits, licensed naturalist guides, number of passengers, conform to the rights for tourism operations.

	For sites further away, control of tourism is done from patrol boats for marine control and monitoring.

Each Technical Office of the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park is responsible for monitoring visitor sites closest to its island: Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal and Isabela.

In case of a proven infraction, the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park begins a legal process against the person or company liable for the infraction. The rights for tourism operations are removed upon the third offense.

During 2008, 1327 inspections of tourist boats were carried out. Through on-site inspection forms, compliance of rules and regulations for operators, naturalist guides and visitors are checked at visitor sites.

Foreign ships that make occasional visits to the Galapagos are also regularly inspected.

Control of visitor sites surrounding populated centers

	Patrols are carried out at visitor sites in the populated areas, to verify that visitors are comlying with the established rules and regulations.

There are control booths at the entrance to the recreational visitor sites, to monitor tourists entering and leaving during permitted visiting hours, where tourists accompanied by guides or not, must register, as in Turtle Bay, on the island of Santa Cruz.

During 2008, there was an average of 82,605 visitors to Turtle Bay, 17.493 to Los Gemelos and 14.464 to the beach at El Garrapatero in Santa Cruz.

On Isabela Island an average of 15,500 visitors arrived at Chico Volcano and  Sierra Negra Volcano, 12.000 at the Breeding Center and 13.500 at Las Tintoreras.

In San Cristóbal there were 18,241 tourists registered at the Galapaguera de Cerro Colorado and 15,391 at the Interpretation Center.

Camping activities are also controlled with registration permits for recreational sites in the Galapagos National Park, such as The Garrapatero. in Santa Cruz and Puerto Grande and Puerto Chino in San Cristóbal.

Control of Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz Island

	The road to Baltra crosses Santa Cruz Island north (Itabaca Canal) to the inhabited areas in the south: Santa Rosa, Bellavista and Puerto Ayora.

Tourism is also monitored at the control booth in Santa Rosa, checking visitors, guided and unguided, who will visit different areas of the Park and the Galapagos Marine Reserve, to confirm compliance with the established rules and regulations for each activity.

In 2008 there were 6405 registered guided groups visiting, a total of 83,130 tourists.