Polar environments provide opportunities for development but also face risks from a range of human activities, which will require sustainable management solutions.
Case study - sustainable management of tourism - IAATO
The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) was founded in 1991 by seven tour companies to promote safe and responsible travel. The Association has since grown to over 100 members.
The need for an association to provide guidelines for tourism stems from the fact that several different countries have made claim to territories in Antarctica, while no country yet recognises any of these claims. This has left tourism in Antarctica as a self-regulated industry.
In the early 1930s, Antarctica received around only 300 tourists, but the figure has risen in recent (non-Covid) times to well over 36,000 each year.
The IAATO guidelines for visitors and tour operators: