Tourism in Antarctica and its future

Tourism in Antarctica began in the 1950’s. It was exclusive and expensive. In the early 1990s, there were around 5,000 tourists visiting Antarctica and in 1991, seven private tour operators came together and formed a group you might have heard of today, IAATO- International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. Jumping ahead, the 2016-2017 season increased to 44,376 tourists, and 2018-2019 season had more than 56,000 while the number of operators a part of IAATO increased to 48. We expect these numbers to keep rising. The question is- by how much? Looking forward, part of the problem is going to be managing tourism in Antarctica. It is a tricky issue as this distant region is a place where no individual government has the power to set the rules. Rules and regulations regarding human activity in Antarctica falls under the governance of the Antarctic Treaty system, an international cooperation that dates to the Cold War era. But officially, there aren’t a lot of hard fast rules governing tourism. This challenge regarding regulation will only become more complex as Antarctica’s popularity grows. Tourists are good and bad for Antarctica. Tourist numbers can be bad as it puts pressure on an already fragile environment. With more people and more ships comes an increased risk of invasive species reaching this isolated habitat. Pollution is another threat, as is animal disturbance.
  Tourists are good because many are people who care so much about Antarctica. They spent a fortune to get there. We need those people who care because those are the ones who will take action towards protecting it. Don’t we all want the 7th continent to be a place where all can continue to enjoy? We need a more sustainable and natural way to visit this white continent and keep it largely untouched by mankind as it’s the last untouched place on earth.