Tourism to Antarctic on the up

MORE people are flying to Antarctica from South African and South American shores for excursions into the continent’s icy interior.

International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) 201617 tourism figures showed visitors to Antarctica totalled 44 367‚ an increase of 15% on the previous year.

IAATO executive committee chairperson Bob Simpson said it is important to keep travel to Antarctica sustainable. “Visiting Antarctica is a great privilege for anyone. Our goal is to provide a safe‚ enriching experience while leaving no discernible evidence of our visit.”

IAATO said there was a steady increase in the cruise sector since 2011-12. Most travellers to the Antarctic – about 98% – depart from Chile or Argentina on vessels carrying fewer than 500 passengers that offer excursions ashore.

This sector grew by 20% in 2016-17‚ largely due to the introduction of two vessels into the market.

The air-cruise sector‚ in which tourists fly to the Antarctic before joining a cruise vessel‚ showed the most growth at 36%‚ comparable to recent years. Tourists cruising in the Antarctic without landing ashore declined by 8%. Most Antarctic tourists were from the US‚ followed by China‚ Australia‚ Germany and the UK. “American visitors remained the most numerous‚ increasing by 7% in 2016-17 and accounting for 33% of the total number. The number of Chinese visitors increased by 25% compared to the previous year. “Australian‚ German and British visitors increased by 5%‚ 45% and 19% respectively‚” the IAATO said. — TMG