After a relatively slow start in the 1950s and 1960s, shipborne tourism in Antarctica has become a regular activity, with about 89 000 visitors to date (through the 1997–1998 austral summer). Recognising the need for standardisation of operating procedures that would protect the vulnerable environment, tour operators initiated codes of conduct in the 1980s. In 1991 the existing seven tour operators formed the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), the objective being to act as a single voice to advocate, promote and practice safe and environmentally responsible private‐sector travel in Antarctica. Since then, Antarctic Treaty Parties passed Recommendation XVIII‐1 in 1994, expanding the operator's guidelines into a comparable and formal version. Associated with that, a Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty has become effective, initiating formal application and permitting requirements that affect both tourism and scientific activities. The implications of the Protocol on the tourism industry are discussed and analysed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The stratigraphie succession in the Ellsworth Mountains includes strata from Cambrian to Permian in age. No definite evidence of major unconformities in the Ellsworth succession is known, and it is possible that continuous deposition took place from Cambrian to Permian time.The oldest stratigraphie unit, the Heritage Group, was deposited in Middle to Late Cambrian time. More than half of the 13,000+-m-thick stratigraphie succession of the Ellsworth Mountains was deposited during this time interval. Basic igneous volcanism and tectonic activity occurred in both the source and accumulation areas throughout the deposition of this group. Shallow-marine conditions prevailed during the deposition of the overlying 3,000-m-thick Upper Cambrian to Devonian Crashsite Group. This group indicates a period of tectonic stability that continued through the remainder of Ellsworth Mountains sedimentation. Deposition of the glaciomarine Permo-Carboniferous Whiteout Conglomerate and the Permian Polarstar Formation completed the sedimentary sequence. Major deformation of the Ellsworth Mountains sedimentary succession, the Ellsworth (Gondwanide) Orogeny, took place in Late Permian or early Mesozoic time. The original location of these rocks is unclear, but they probably accumulated near the margin of East Antarctica. With the breakup of Gondwanaland, the Ellsworth Mountains, and their southern neighbors likely comprised a microplate that translated and rotated to its present position sometime in late Mesozoic or early Cenozoic time. The uplift of the mountains may have accompanied these postulated movements. The geomorphic evolution of the Ellsworth Mountains in Cretaceous and Cenozoic time includes the development of an integrated stream valley pattern and, later, valley and continental glaciation, followed by moderate déglaciation.

Management of tourism in Antarctica has been the combined responsibility of Antarctic Treaty Parties and the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) since 1991 when IAATO was formed. With the growth of tourism during the past 15–20 years, management strategies developed by IAATO included establishing categories of membership that are tailored to accommodate size of vessels and passenger capacity, plus a variety of steps taken to ensure environmental protection. These are mentioned in detail in the following sections. Benefits of Antarctic tourism are many, such as spin-offs that assist science programs through "ships of opportunity" by way of transporting science personnel and gear, as well as in numerous observations of marine wildlife by tour company naturalists.

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