WASHINGTON (September 22, 2025) – Tensions over Airbnb have reached the Galapagos, where locals blame the surge in short-term rentals for drawing thousands of visitors to the islands. Reports of tourists chasing wildlife, drinking publicly, and littering beaches have sparked concerns among residents about the future state of the ecosystem.
Professor Cevat Tosun is available to discuss overtourism, tourism taxes, and sustainable tourism development. Tosun holds the Eisenhower Chair in Tourism Studies at the GW School of Business and directs the MS in Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management program.
“Airbnb has evolved since 2007 towards functioning as another type of mass tourism. The current practice of Airbnb is not community-driven. It utilizes community resources and provides some benefits to the selected members of the community, but the cost and negative impacts are shared by the entire community” said Professor Tosun.
“Certainly, more comprehensive participatory policies and regulations should be established to protect the wider interests of the local community, which is sine qua non for reshaping Airbnb as a better tool for contributing to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
If you would like to schedule an interview with Professor Tosun, please contact Claire Sabin at claire [dot] sabin
gwu [dot] edu (claire[dot]sabin[at]gwu[dot]edu).
-GW-