IAATO Overview of Antarctic
Tourism Activities
The International Association of Antarctica Tour
Operators (IAATO) is pleased to provide this summary
of Antarctic tourism for the 1997-98 season as
well as an overview of the estimated number of
passengers for the 1998-99 season to ATCM XXII.
This information along with additional detail
on the frequency and scope of Antarctic tourism
will be posted on the IAATO website: www.iaato.org
1. Seaborne Tourism
(a) Approximately 9,378 people traveled to
the Antarctic on 14 commercially-organized tour
vessels from November 1997 to March 1998. A
summary is appended to this report, "Overview
of Actual Antarctic Tourism, 1997-98."
(b) All but one of the Antarctic tour vessels
that sailed in 1996-97 were operated by IAATO
members. Six of the 14 vessels were of Russian
registry.
(c) The vast majority of Antarctic voyages
are to the Peninsula region during the four-month
Austral summer, departing from Ushuaia or, in
fewer numbers, from Punta Arenas or Stanley.
Eight of 106 voyages in 1997-98 were outside
the Peninsula.
(d) Commercial Antarctic Tour Vessels, 1998-99
| Ship |
Capacity |
Since |
| Explorer |
100 |
1970 |
| World Discoverer |
138 |
1977 |
| Bremen |
164 |
1989 |
| Professor Molchanov |
38 |
1991 |
| Kapitan Khlebnikov |
114 |
1992 |
| Akademik Sergei
Vavilov |
80 |
1992 |
| Akademik Ioffe |
80 |
1993 |
| Hanseatic |
180 |
1993 |
| * Marco Polo |
800 |
1993 |
| ** Clipper Adventurer |
120 |
1994 |
| Akademik Shokalskiy |
36 |
1994 |
| Professor Multanovskiy |
45 |
1995 |
| Akademik Shuleykin |
45 |
1996 |
| Maria Yermalova |
120 |
1998 |
| Caledonian Star |
120 |
1998 |
* Not a Member of IAATO. Capacity restricted
by Orient Lines to approx. 500
** Clipper Adventurer is the ex
Alla Tarasova
(e) A total of 95 passengers and crew were reported
to have traveled to Antarctica aboard 11 yachts
in the 1997-98 season. This includes yachts reported
at Arthur Harbor by the U.S. National Science
Foundation. The UK has tabled a very useful summary
of yacht activities in Antarctica compiled by
Robert Headland at the Scott Polar Research Institute.
( XXII ATCM/IP1)
(f) According to information provided by tour
operators to the IAATO, an estimated 11,048 travelers
will travel on 113 voyages in 1998-1999 and 130
land-based tourists will travel to the interior.
Should this estimate prove accurate, the 1998-1999
season will be the largest ever for Antarctic
tourism. A summary is appended to this report.
(g) A graph prepared by the National Science
Foundation, "Antarctic Tourist Trends"
is also appended to this report. The 1997-98 numbers
include yachts (95) and land-based expeditions
(131).
(h) IAATO notes that Antarctic tour operators
are experienced with many of the operators active
in the Antarctic for five or more years. Several
have been operating in the Antarctic for decades.
Much of the expected 2,000 passenger increase
in 1998-99 is due to the addition of three experienced,
smaller vessels: The Akademik S. Vavilov
(75 passengers on each of 8 voyages), Clipper
Adventurer (110 passengers on each of 5 voyages)
and Caledonian Star (100 passengers on
each of 5 voyages).
(i) Two operators will return to the Antarctic
market in 1998-99, Clipper Cruise Line (St. Louis,
USA) and Special Expeditions (New York, USA).
Both joined IAATO already last season. Clipper
will operate the 120-passenger Clipper Adventurer.
Special Expeditions will operate the 120-passenger
Caledonian Star. Clipper previously operated
the World Discoverer in the Antarctic and
both companies have established reputations as
educational cruise companies focusing on natural
history destinations.
2. Land-based Tourism
(a) Founding IAATO-member Adventure Network International,
which operates a seasonal facility at Patriot
Hills, Ellsworth Mountains, completed their 13th
Antarctic season. The company transported 131
passengers to the interior.
(b) ANI continued its logistical and emergency
support for all private-expeditions. This season
two Belgian expeditioners completed the longest
manhaul journey across Antarctica, three Australians
successfully skied from Berkner Island to the
South Pole and an Icelandic team skied from Patriot
Hills to the South Pole.
(c) For the first time in its 13-year history
Adventure Network experienced tragedy when three
skydivers died when their parachutes failed to
open on a jump over the South Pole. Chilean authorities
and ANI are preparing an incident report.
3. Overflights
(a) Croydon Travel of Victoria, Australia operated
Qantas Antarctic Day Sightseeing flights from
Melbourne aboard Qantas Airlines Boeing 747 aircraft
for the fourth consecutive season. According to
the Australian Antarctic Division, a total of
3,146 passengers participated on 9 flights from
December 1997 to February 1998. In addition, the
plane carried 23 crew per flight.
(b) Over 10,000 persons have taken part in the
overflights since they recommenced in 1994-1995.
|
