| Summary: | “Tourism is the fastest growing global industry. Its economic power is enormous and generates ever greater political influence at national and international levels. Governments, associated industries and presumed beneficiary communities see tourism as a route to economic prosperity and are often strong advocates for further tourism development. Those involved in the industry are invariably advocates for continual growth, simply out of selfinterest. On the other side of the ledger are concerns about the negative effects of tourism. These include disjunction of existing social and economic systems, shifts in power relationships and environmental effects, often substantial and irreversible. Whether the effects of tourism are viewed as negative or positive depends of course on one’s place in the scheme of things” (ASOC? ) Tourism in Antarctica is well established, with exponential growth of visitor numbers over recent years. This growth has been a concern amongst the various participants in the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS), tourist operators, NGOs and scientists, all have voiced concerns regarding the potential and actual impacts of tourism to the continent.
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