ANTARCTIC TOURISM A Fr-ontiev for Wilderness Management

• Main Author: Gordon Cessford
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antarctic; Arctic; New Zealand; Rubin; The Antarctic; Vance; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.466.5718; http://fama2.us.es:8080/turismo/turismonet1/economia del turismo/turismo y medio ambiente/antarctic tourism.pdf

[Editor’s Note: Antarctica is the largest contiguous area of wilderness on Earth. As inhospitable to humans as it may be most of the time, the Antarctic is nonetheless a vital and valuable area. The UW is pleased to feature five articles on Antarctica in this issue, more exposure to one subject in one issue than we have given previously. Special thanks go to the efforts of UWguest editors Gordon Cessford and Paul Dingwall of the Department of Conservation, New Zealand, for coordinating a comprehensive, up-to-date perspective on the great southern wilderness.-Vance G. Martin, Executive Editor (International)] Abstract: Antarctic tourism has grown rapidly in recent years, bringing an influx of new visitors to add to the traditional scientific occupants of the continent. To date, tourism impacts on the wilderness environment have been relatively benign, and tourists accept that their visits may be subject to limitations. But the prospect of continued growth and diversity of activities brings some concerns about the adequacy of existing rules for managing tourists and calls for continued surveillance and research. D EBATE OVER WHETHER ANT;IRCTIC TOURISM ISGOOD OR BAD IS NOT MUCH HELP It is internation-ally accepted as a legitimate actlvlty, Antarctic tourist numbers are growing, and recently even a comprehensive Ant-arctic tourism guidebook has been published (Rubin 1996). All the signs show that Antarctic tourism is here to stay. Now