Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Extreme Tourism in Antarctica
- Extreme Environment
- Locations with particularly difficult environments where the development
of tourism has only recently occurred due to a niche market demand for
somewhere difficult with physical challenges
- Mountains, Deserts, Rainforests etc.
- Adventure Tourists are usually
- Physically fit, around 30, unmarried, affluent
- What attracts tourists to Antarctica?
- Visiting scientific research facilities
- Unique Wildlife
- Unique geographical features
and environment, icebergs etc
- Challenge of extreme climate
- Tourists
- Tourists first arrived in the 1950s
- First cruise ship arrived in 1969
- Today they receive around 60,000 a year
- Majority of tourists come from the wealthier countries
- Over a third from the USA
- Issues
- Environmental impact of a tourist is
greater than that of a researcher
- 99% of Antarctica is ice, and
few go on the ice
- Damaging activities including
kayaking, climbing, walking
- Tourist want to visit the
most wildlife rich areas
- Animals are disturbed e.g. penguins
- If they leave as a result they may
abandon their eggs
- Ships can strike
uncharted rocks
- Oil Spills cause pollution and
harm wildlife
- Management of Tourism
- Antarctic Treaty
- Devised in 1961,
signed by 47
countries
- Only ships carrying 500 or less
can land there and only 100
allowed on shore at a time
- Code of Conduct
- Specially protected areas off
limits to tourists
- Wildlife must not be disturbed when being observed e.g.
whale watching ships must be slow and distant
- Nothing can be left behind by tourists and
there must be no smoking while on shore
- Tourists must stay in supervised
groups, with a qualified guide
- Plant life must
not be walked on
- Sewage must be treated
biologically and other waste
stored on board the ships