Monitoring shipborne visitors in Antarctica: a preliminary field study

Abstract

During every austral summer since the International Geophysical Year 1957–58 several thousand scientists and support staff have worked in Antarctica. A more recent development is the annual advent of 4000–5000 tourists, who now probably outnumber expedition members in the area covered by the Antarctic Treaty System. Most tourists come by ship, visiting coastal areas of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Orkney and South Shetland islands that arc readily accessible beween November and March: smaller numbers visit the Ross Dependency and Adelie Land sectors. This article reviews Antarctic Treaty and International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) attitudes to tourism, and outlines a preliminary study of shipborne tourism between late December 1991 and March 1992 on Half Moon Island, South Shetland Islands. Within one month (January) a survey team from the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, recorded 14 visits by six tour ships, bringing more than 2000 tourists. In addition, attitudes and expectations of visitors were studied on five ships. Arising from this study, a programme of visitor monitoring is planned as a joint project between British, Chilean, and Argentine scientific institutions during the next five years. Objectives are to find ways of minimizing both short-term and long-term impacts of tourists and other visitors on breeding birds and other ecological communities, and to provide a factual basis for regulation under the Antarctic Treaty System.

Linking Tourism and Conservation in the Arctic

“…These ideas draw upon research conducted on compliance with Antarctic tour operator and visitor guidelines (Davis 1995, Enzenbacher 1995a) and other Antarctic tourism research (Stonehouse 1992, Enzenbacher 1995b). …”

A preliminary archaeological survey of Camp Wellman at Virgohamn, Danskøya, Svalbard

“…Virgohamn offers a unique vantage point from which to survey the effects of shipborne visitors to an Arctic historic site, as is now being done in Antarctica (Stonehouse 1992), especially considering the upcoming centennials of Andree's 1896 and 1897 campaigns. One visiting ship brought word that a Swedish balloon team was planning a re-creation of Andree's flight from Virgohamn (presumably minus the ensuing death march) in July of 1997.…”

IAATO: an association of Antarctic tour operators

“…Comparable or higher numbers of tourists are expected in the coming season. From its start, the industry has projected an image of environmental concern that, both according to interested researchers (Naveen and others 1990;Stonehouse 1992aStonehouse , 1992b and to independent observers (Ackerman 1989;WilkstrOm 1991), seems on the whole to be justified by its behaviour in the field. My own experience on cruise ships indicates that environmental concern on the part of operators is an important selling point among Antarctic tourist clientele.…”