Roundup: Will the Galapagos cut back on tourists? Emergency landing for Qantas; 18 dead in Nepal plane crash

Good morning, travelers.

Galapagos | Have you been to the Galapagos Islands yet? Consider yourself lucky if you have seen their giant tortoises, marine iguanas and other plant and animal life — tourist rules might be changing for the rest of us. In 2007, the United Nations warned Ecuador that their human population had doubled in 10 years, and UNESCO put the islands on an “in danger” list. There is a new tourism model being studied now that may freeze visitation levels and raise the entrance fee for foreigners from $100 to $300.  In the meantime, it’s Ecuadorean citizens who are being turned away. Read: “Galapagos Expels Citizens as a Flood of Tourists Threatens Islands.”

Click the image above to see a full Galapagos Islands photo gallery.

Airline news |  18 people were killed in Nepal when a small Yeti Airlines plane crash landed at Lukla Airport near Mt. Everest.

A Qantas A330-300 plane flying from Singapore to Perth, Australia, was forced to make an emergency landing in Learmonth, Australia. There was a sudden loss of altitude, and some of the 303 passengers hit their heads on the cabin roof. The Wall Street Journal reports that it might have been caused by computer error. Seventy-five passengers and crew were injured.

Art travel | If you haven’t seen “The Adoration of the Magi” by Italian Renaissance master Andrea Mantegna in its usual spot at the Getty Museum — and you need an excuse to visit France — it is part of an exhibition at the Louvre until Jan. 5, 2009.

– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger

[Photo: Steve Stroud / Los Angeles Times]

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at 10:05 am by Jen Leo and is filed under California, Good Morning, Latin America & Caribbean, News, Tips & Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.