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Tourism is a late starter in Antarctica. However, visitor numbers have increased dramatically since the 1990s to more than 30,000 per summer season, raising concerns about the potential impacts on the continent and the surrounding ocean.... more
Tourism is a late starter in Antarctica. However, visitor numbers have increased dramatically since the 1990s to more than 30,000 per summer season, raising concerns about the potential impacts on the continent and the surrounding ocean. Unsurprisingly, the rapid increase in the numbers of people visiting Antarctica has had significant consequences for the regulation and management of Antarctic tourism. Since the creation of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) in 1991, much of the in situ management of Antarctic tourism has been undertaken by the industry itself, which resulted in some complacency by Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties (ATCPs) with regard to tourism regulation. This chapter introduces the main characteristics of Antarctic tourism, its brief history and explores some of the concerns and impacts that can arise from tourism activities in and around Antarctica. This chapter also sheds light on the current regulation, management and regulatory challenges of Antarctic tourism.
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ABSTRACT The guidelines on heritage management adopted by the 2018 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting provide the most recent iteration for an Antarctic tourism sector which had, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, been projected to... more
ABSTRACT The guidelines on heritage management adopted by the 2018 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting provide the most recent iteration for an Antarctic tourism sector which had, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, been projected to increase further with various risks and potential impacts requiring careful management. In this paper the role of cultural heritage for tourism prior to the COVID-19 pandemic is examined through three empirical perspectives. First, how the Antarctic cultural heritage is represented through the designation of Historic Sites and Monuments and Site Guidelines for Visitors; then how this is presented through tourism operators’ websites; and, finally, how it is experienced by visitors as narrated in open-source social media information. Each dataset suggests that, while cultural heritage is an important component of an increasingly commodified tourist offering, it is only part of an assemblage of elements which combine to create a subliminal and largely intangible Antarctic experience. In particular, a polarization of the heritage experience between cultural and natural does not appear productive. The paper proposes a more nuanced understanding of heritage tourism in Antarctica which accommodates the notion of a hybrid experience that integrates cultural heritage, the history and stories this heritage represents, and the natural environmental setting.
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The polar regions provide valuable insights into the functioning of the Earth’s regulating systems. Conducting field research in such harsh and remote environments requires strong international cooperation, extended planning horizons,... more
The polar regions provide valuable insights into the functioning of the Earth’s regulating systems. Conducting field research in such harsh and remote environments requires strong international cooperation, extended planning horizons, sizable budgets and long-term investment. Consequently, polar research is particularly vulnerable to societal and economic pressures during periods of austerity. The global financial crisis of 2008, and the ensuing decade of economic slowdown, have already adversely affected polar research, and the current COVID-19 pandemic has added further pressure. In this article we present the outcomes of a community survey that aimed to assess the main barriers and success factors identified by academic researchers at all career stages in response to these global crises. The survey results indicate that the primary barriers faced by polar early and mid-career researchers (EMCRs) act at institutional level, while mitigating factors are developed at individual and ...
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The Year of Polar Prediction, initiated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and taking place between mid-2017 and mid-2019, attracts considerable attention to polar forecasting. However, our knowledge of what information is... more
The Year of Polar Prediction, initiated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and taking place between mid-2017 and mid-2019, attracts considerable attention to polar forecasting. However, our knowledge of what information is really needed at the end of the forecast chain is rather limited. In particular, important insights into the use of environmental forecasts by users operating in polar regions are often restricted to relatively small audiences, such as the participants of specific science meetings. Together with partners from the EU-funded Horizon 2020 projects APPLICATE and Blue-Action, the International Coordination Office for the Polar Prediction Project (PPP) and the PPP-subcommittee on “Societal and Economic Research and Application” have initiated a non-peer reviewed forum titled Polar Prediction Matters with the main aim to strengthen the dialogue between polar forecast providers and users. The platform facilitates discussion between those that research, develop...
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The COVID-19 pandemic and pandemic-related measures have impacted the lives and work-related activities of Antarctic researchers. To explore these impacts, we designed, piloted and disseminated an online survey in English, Russian,... more
The COVID-19 pandemic and pandemic-related measures have impacted the lives and work-related activities of Antarctic researchers. To explore these impacts, we designed, piloted and disseminated an online survey in English, Russian, Spanish and Chinese in late 2020 and early 2021. The survey explored how the pandemic affected the productivity of Antarctic researchers, their career prospects and their mental wellbeing. Findings exposed patterns of inequities. For instance, of the 406 unique responses to the survey, women appeared to have been affected more adversely than men, especially in relation to mental health, and early-career researchers were disadvantaged more than their mid- or late-career colleagues. Overall, a third of the research participants reported at least one major negative impact from the pandemic on their mental health. Approximately half of the participants also mentioned that the COVID-19 pandemic had some positive effects, especially in terms of the advantages t...
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Over the last couple of decades, polar tourism has significantly grown in the number of visitors and diversified in terms of the tourism activities offered. The COVID-19 pandemic brought polar tourism to a halt and has prompted... more
Over the last couple of decades, polar tourism has significantly grown in the number of visitors and diversified in terms of the tourism activities offered. The COVID-19 pandemic brought polar tourism to a halt and has prompted researchers, operators and policy-makers alike to reflect on how Arctic and Antarctic tourism have developed, how they are being managed and governed and, importantly, how tourism operators influence polar socio-ecological systems. Given the dominance of ship-based tourism over other types of tourism in the Polar Regions, we discuss the cornerstones of how polar ship-based tourism has developed over the last 50 years and explore the relevant international and regional governance regimes in this article. We identify which positive and negative biophysical, socio-cultural and economic impacts arising from polar tourism have been identified by researchers. It is difficult, if not impossible, to disentangle impacts caused by tourism alone from those that result f...
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Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments are facing increasing pressure from multiple threats. The Antarctic Treaty System regularly looks to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) for the provision of independent and... more
Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments are facing increasing pressure from multiple threats. The Antarctic Treaty System regularly looks to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) for the provision of independent and objective advice based on the best available science to support decision-making, policy development and effective environmental management. The recently approved SCAR Scientific Research Programme Ant-ICON - ‘Integrated Science to Inform Antarctic and Southern Ocean Conservation‘ - facilitates and coordinates high-quality transdisciplinary research to inform the conservation and management of Antarctica, the Southern Ocean and the sub-Antarctic in the context of current and future impacts. The work of Ant-ICON focuses on three research themes examining 1) the current state and future projections of Antarctic systems, species and functions, 2) human impacts and sustainability and 3) socio-ecological approaches to Antarctic and Southern Ocean conservation...
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Human activities in Antarctica were increasing before the COVID-19 pandemic, and tourism was not an exception. The growth and diversification of Antarctic tourism over the last few decades have been extensively studied. However,... more
Human activities in Antarctica were increasing before the COVID-19 pandemic, and tourism was not an exception. The growth and diversification of Antarctic tourism over the last few decades have been extensively studied. However, environmental impacts associated with this activity have received less attention despite an increasing body of scholarship examining environmental issues related to Antarctic tourism. Aside from raising important research questions, the potential negative effects of tourist visits in Antarctica are also an issue discussed by Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties. This study presents the results of a meta-analysis of scholarly publications that synthesizes and updates our current knowledge of environmental impacts resulting from Antarctic tourism. A first publication database containing 233 records that focussed on this topic was compiled and subjected to a general bibliometric and content analysis. Further, an in-depth content analysis was performed on a subset of 75 records, which were focussed on showing specific research on Antarctic tourism impacts. The main topic, methods, management proposals, and research gaps highlighted by the respective authors of these 75 publications were assessed. The range of research topics addressed, the methods used - including the application of established research designs from the field of environmental impact assessment -, and the conclusions reached by the study authors are discussed. Interestingly, almost one third of the studies did not detect a direct relationship between tourism and significant negative effects on the environment. Cumulative impacts of tourism have received little attention, and long-term and comprehensive monitoring programs have been discussed only rarely, leading us to assume that such long-term programs are scarce. More importantly, connections between research and policy or management do not always exist. This analysis highlights the need for a comprehensive strategy to investigate and monitor the environmental impacts of tourism in Antarctica. A first specific research and monitoring programme to stimulate a debate among members of the Antarctic scientific and policy communities is proposed, with the ultimate goal of advancing the regulation and management of Antarctic tourism collaboratively.
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This data set presents 374 organizations providing Polar specific weather, water, ice and climate information. The organizations are categorized in different categories and classes based on their base country, institutional... more
This data set presents 374 organizations providing Polar specific weather, water, ice and climate information. The organizations are categorized in different categories and classes based on their base country, institutional characteristics and targeted users.
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This chapter outlines the characteristics of Antarctic cruise tourism development, explores the governance of the sector and assesses its regulation and management. As described in this chapter, Antarctic cruise tourism has thus far been... more
This chapter outlines the characteristics of Antarctic cruise tourism development, explores the governance of the sector and assesses its regulation and management. As described in this chapter, Antarctic cruise tourism has thus far been considered as having been commendably managed on the ground by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and the Antarctic cruise operators. However, IAATO's effectual self-regulation has arguably led to a certain level of complacency among the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties (ATCPs), who have failed to develop a comprehensive and systematic approach to the regulation of Antarctic tourism. The largely hortatory character of the individual regulatory mechanisms focusing on Antarctic tourism not only by the ATCPs but also by IAATO represents a considerable weakness of the current Antarctic tourism regulation.
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Research Interests: Management, Economics, Tourism Management, Corporate Governance, Collective Action, and 13 moreSustainable Tourism, Tourism, Institutional Design, Social Science Research Network, Legislation, Regulations, Incentive, Robustness (evolution), Governance Structure, Massage Design Principle, Common Pool Resources, Common Pool Resource, and design principle
The Antarctic Roadmap Challenges (ARC) project identified critical requirements to deliver high priority Antarctic research in the 21st century. The ARC project addressed the challenges of enabling technologies, facilitating access,... more
The Antarctic Roadmap Challenges (ARC) project identified critical requirements to deliver high priority Antarctic research in the 21st century. The ARC project addressed the challenges of enabling technologies, facilitating access, providing logistics and infrastructure, and capitalizing on international co-operation. Technological requirements include: i) innovative automated in situ observing systems, sensors and interoperable platforms (including power demands), ii) realistic and holistic numerical models, iii) enhanced remote sensing and sensors, iv) expanded sample collection and retrieval technologies, and v) greater cyber-infrastructure to process ‘big data’ collection, transmission and analyses while promoting data accessibility. These technologies must be widely available, performance and reliability must be improved and technologies used elsewhere must be applied to the Antarctic. Considerable Antarctic research is field-based, making access to vital geographical targets ...
Research Interests: Physical Geography, Earth Sciences, Environmental Science, Geology, Oceanography, and 15 moreClimate Change, Logistics, Future, Biological Sciences, Interoperability, Environmental Sciences, Sea level rise, Infrastructure, Physical sciences, Access, Ice, Science Technology, Antarctic Science, East Antarctica, and Future directions
AFFILIATIONS: Thoman—National Weather Service, Fairbanks, Alaska; dawson—University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; LiggeTT—Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand; LameRs—Wageningen University,... more
AFFILIATIONS: Thoman—National Weather Service, Fairbanks, Alaska; dawson—University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; LiggeTT—Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand; LameRs—Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands; sTewaRT—Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand; LJubicic—Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; knoL—University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway; hoke— Alfred Wegener Institute, Bremerhaven, Germany CORRESPONDING AUTHOR E-MAIL: Richard L. Thoman Jr., richard.thoman@noaa.gov
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Polar Prediction Project (PPP) was conceived and initiated in 2012 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), through its World Weather Research Programme (WWRP), in response to rapid environmental change in the... more
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Polar Prediction Project (PPP) was conceived and initiated in 2012 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), through its World Weather Research Programme (WWRP), in response to rapid environmental change in the Polar Regions. The primary goal of the PPP is to advance scientific knowledge such that society, both within and outside of the Arctic and Antarctic, may benefit through applications of improved weather and climate services. This includes improved understanding and prediction of physical parameters and the ways people use the available information. To this end, the Polar Prediction Project Societal and Economic Research and Applications (PPP-SERA) working group was established in 2015. This report represents the foundational work of PPP-SERA and aims to explore how weather, water, ice and climate (WWIC) information is currently being used and produced in the Polar Regions, by whom, and for what reasons. The report also identifies, frames and articu...
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A change of editors of the Conference Reports and Notes section in The Polar Journal coincides, unwittingly, with COVID-19 and the unravelling of so much that is familiar in our professional and pe...
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Capulse Summary The Year of Polar Prediction in the Southern Hemisphere had a Special Observing Period (SOP) during the 2018-2019 austral summer. Activities during and resulting from the Antarctic SOP are described.
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The term “Antarctic ambassadorship” is increasingly used to represent an individual’s connection to Antarctica and their subsequent advocacy. However, there is little clarity regarding the concept. To address this, we combined a... more
The term “Antarctic ambassadorship” is increasingly used to represent an individual’s connection to Antarctica and their subsequent advocacy. However, there is little clarity regarding the concept. To address this, we combined a literature review with an expert elicitation workshop. We argue that (i) the concept of Antarctic ambassador has been understood in myriad ways; (ii) Antarctic ambassadors have a connection to, knowledge of and passion for Antarctica; (iii) they also have a commitment to defending and advancing Antarctic values and (iv) Antarctic ambassadorship is about more than advocacy. We propose the first comprehensive definition of Antarctic ambassadorship. We hope this will provide a cornerstone upon which future research, and a more informed governance of Antarctic tourism, can be built.
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The future is uncertain for Antarctica, with many possibilities – some more plausible, others more preferable. Indeed, the region and its governance regime may be reaching (or may have reached) a crossroads moment as a result of a series... more
The future is uncertain for Antarctica, with many possibilities – some more plausible, others more preferable. Indeed, the region and its governance regime may be reaching (or may have reached) a crossroads moment as a result of a series of challenges, including the changing Antarctic climate and environment, increasing human activity, shifting values among Antarctic states and a low-cost, somewhat benign governance regime (the Antarctic Treaty System). Within this context there are a number of interdependent drivers that are likely to influence Antarctica's future over, say, 25 years: global environmental and socio-economic developments; Antarctic governance; Antarctic research, including national Antarctic programme operations; and Antarctic tourism. The research presented here involved a thorough examination of Antarctic literature on current Antarctic developments and challenges, and an assessment of global trends. Scenarios were developed through a facilitated workshop proc...