Why would a tourist visit Antarctica? Use the images below to make a spider diagram of the information Antarctic Environment What would they see? What would they do? Write down 5 adjectives you could use to describe Antarctica "Antarctica is the coldest, highest, windiest, driest, and iciest continent on earth" Coldest: - 89.2 ° C at Vostok, July 21, 1983 (World lowest temperature record.) Highest: Average elevation 8200 feet (2500 m). Windiest: Gales reach 200 mph on Commonwealth Bay, George V coast. Driest: Average precipitation is less than 5cm per year. Iciest: The thickest ice found is in Wilkes Land, where it reaches a depth of 15,669 feet (4,776 m). J F M A M J Jy A S O N D ˚C -41 -49 -57 -57 -56 -58 -62 -59 -55 -45 -35 -39 Why have tourist numbers increased? Antarctica’s first tourists arrived in 1958. In those days, visitor numbers were very small. But today, thanks to ice-strengthened cruise ships, about 28,000 tourists visit the continent every year - more than three times the number that visited 15 years ago. Antarctica is no place to get a suntan, and temperatures are freezing all year round. What’s more, there are no restaurants, shops, theatres or nightclubs. Why have tourist numbers increased? Tourists want to visit places different to Tourists want to visit their own surroundings – becoming more Antarctica before it adventurous disappears (Climate Change) “Penguin Fever” – films & documentaries on places seen on the TV/cinema internet and people want to visit More disposable income Only ships with less than 500 passengers allowed so it has become quite exclusive What attractions are there in Antarctica What attractions are there in Antarctica Most tourists visit Antarctica between November and March when the sea-ice has melted and there are long hours of daylight. A few people are lucky enough to take part in an overland adventure, even cross-country skiing to the South Pole. Others pay for a private yacht or a chartered flight over Antarctica. But most of the continent’s visitors travel on a cruise ship that can carry up to 500 passengers. Starting from a port like Ushuaia on the southern tip of Argentina, these cruise ships sail to the Antarctica Peninsula, stopping off at various attractions. Problems caused by tourists Exploration and exploitation of mineral reserves, oil and gas Fishing, both legal and illegal. Direct impacts associated with the development of infrastructure for scientific bases and programmes. Invasive species. Pollution Tourism Climate change / Global warming Problems caused by tourists Increasing size of cruise ships – more tourists are able to visit tourists trample plants, disturb wildlife and drop litter. Spillage of fuel/oil from ships – poisons/kills wildlife Nobody owns Antarctica so laws can’t be imposed – so susceptible to exploitation. In oil exploration, skiing & hotels the future – ice could be removed to (theme park),sea pollution, air provide a water supply, oil and gas could strips, large cruise ships be extracted, overfishing (eg of krill – imbalance in Food Chain. Learning Objective (s) To gain knowledge of Antarctica as a tourist destination and suggest how tourism can be developed in a sustainable way Like every visitor to Antarctica, tourists have to be extremely careful not to damage the fragile wilderness. The countries of the Antarctic Treaty have agreed guidelines for visitors to Antarctica, which aim to ensure that people follow the strict environmental rules governing activities in Antarctica. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), of which the vast majority of Antarctic tour operators are members, work to ensure that these guidelines are followed carefully to ensure that tourism activities in Antarctica do not impact on the environment. Solutions to the problems Problem Solution Trampling plant life Waste and pollution from boats Tourists taking things away Learning Objective (s) To gain knowledge of Antarctica as a tourist destination and suggest how tourism can be developed in a sustainable way.