Regulating Antarctic Tourism and the Precautionary Principle

• Published in: American Journal of International Law
• Main Authors: Bastmeijer, Kees, Roma, Ricardo
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2004
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3216699; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0002930000013567

Antarctic tourism is a rapidly growing industry. From 1958 until 1987, an average of fewer than 1000 tourists visited Antarctica each season. In the 1993-1994 season, the tourists visiting Antarctica outnumbered the scientists for the first time. In recent years (1999-2003), between 13,000 and 15,000 tourists made landings in Antarctica, and during the last season (2003-2004) this number increased by 45 percent to more than 19,500 (see figure 1, p. 764). The estimate of total passengers for the 2003-2004 season, including those not landing, is over 27,000.