For many adventure travelers, Antarctica is the best destination. After all, the other six continents are easy to get to, and it’s not uncommon to visit those places on a variety of independent or organized tours. But Antarctica requires effort, not to mention a considerable amount of money, which puts it out of reach for many travelers.
That being said, however, thousands of people visit the frozen continent every southern summer thanks to Antarctic cruise operators like Quark Expeditions and travel guides like Adventure Network International. Many of those companies are members of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO), an organization dedicated to promoting safe and sustainable tourism in Antarctica. Over the years, IAATO has helped write important regulations and guidelines for its members that are designed to keep travelers safe while protecting the fragile environment of the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.
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Antarctica by the numbers
Each year IAATO publishes some interesting statistics on the most recent Antarctic season, which generally begins in November and runs through February. During that time frame, visitors to the region will do everything from taking a luxury cruise to skiing hundreds of miles to the South Pole, with many other options in between. These visitors have discovered that Antarctica is a demanding and unforgiving place at times, but that it is also extremely beautiful and rewarding.
The most interesting number to come out of the 2016 IAATO report is that 38,478 people visited Antarctica during that season. That represents a 4.6% increase over the previous year, but is well below the peak season of 2007-2008, when 46,265 people made the trip to the bottom of the world. However, with that said, the organization projected that 43,885 people would travel there during the 2016-2017 season as interest in the region among adventure travelers increases, and more people find the discretionary income that would allow them to visit such a remote location. .
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Sailing the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic Peninsula
However, perhaps even more interesting is what all those travelers are actually doing in Antarctica. IAATO says the vast majority of them are simply there to navigate the waters of the Southern Ocean and explore the rugged coastline that runs along the frozen continent. According to the statistics of the organizations, only about 1.1% of the visitors leave the coast and explore the interior of the continent. This is due to the fact that the more remote regions of Antarctica are difficult to reach and the weather conditions are even harsher than on the coast.
The other 98.9% of visitors stay on the Antarctic Peninsula, and some don’t even leave their cruise ship to land. However, trends show that sea voyages offering passengers the option to disembark from their ships are on the rise. However, those options only exist on ships carrying less than 500 passengers, which is in accordance with the Antarctic Treaty System.
Visitor nationalities
Americans and Chinese are the two nationalities that visit Antarctica the most, with the former accounting for 33% of all visitors, while the latter ranking a distant second with 12%. The IAATO numbers also offer further proof of China’s growing importance in the travel market, as those tourists have seen a sharp increase in recent years. Meanwhile, Australians, Germans, and British travelers round out most of the rest of Antarctica’s visitors.
IAATO has been in business for more than 25 years and continues to seek ways to enhance the sustainable tourism industry in Antarctica. One of the organization’s biggest concerns right now is how to manage growth as interest in traveling in Antarctica grows. In addition to navigating the coast, the more adventurous options, like skiing in the last degree to the South Pole, are also becoming more popular. Allowing that to happen while protecting remote and fragile landscapes remains an important goal, particularly as climate change becomes an even greater concern for the region.
Sustainable tourism in Antarctica
In the press release announcing these statistics, IAATO Executive Director Dr. Kim Crosbie said: “The last 25 years have shown that with careful management it is possible for visitors to experience Antarctica without impact. adverse on the environment. However, the appetite for visiting Antarctica is clearly still strong, so IAATO must build on the foundations established in the past to meet future challenges and opportunities to support the long-term conservation of Antarctica.
If you plan to visit the Seventh Continent at some point in the future, make sure whoever you travel is a member of IAATO. These companies are committed to maintaining ethical and responsible tourism standards in the region, which runs the risk of being deeply affected by the number of travelers who visit it annually.
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