As tourism booms, experts warn of potential environmental damage to Antarctica’s fragile ecosystem. — HILKE SEGBERS/dpa
Antarctica was once a distant, almost mythical destination at the end of the world.
However, in the age of global travel, more people than ever can witness the towering icebergs in shimmering shades of blue, penguin colonies and breathtaking fjords.
No longer just lone explorers and adventurers, a new cohort of social media influencers is flocking to the Southern Ocean, with the rush of tourists fuelled partly by platforms such as TikTok.
Fewer than 8,000 people went to Antarctica in the mid-1990s. A decade later, visitor numbers rose to 20,000, and by 2024, the continent saw almost 123,000 visitors.
“Of course, you can’t compare the numbers with those in Venice (Italy), Barcelona (Spain) or Phi Phi Island (Thailand),” says Anne Hardy, tourism professor at the University of Tasmania in Australia.
“But what we are experiencing in Antarctica is increasing diversification, moving away from niche tourism.”
Most tours on offer are expedition ships with space for up to 500 passengers, though the market is growing fast for ships with up to 1,000 people on board, says Hardy.
Cruises to the Southern Ocean now cater to a wide range of interests, she adds. “The spectrum ranges from wellness tours to medical congresses and swinger ships.”
A recent Antarctica Swinger Cruise featured “... erotic entertainment, sensual playrooms, sexy-themed evenings and international DJs” – as well as “hot activities on board” to counterbalance the Antarctic chill outdoors.
Well-known American DJ Diplo performed live from Antarctica in December 2023, becoming the first DJ to play on all seven continents.
“Epic!” said his fans on TikTok.
There has been an increase in cruise ship landings in the Antarctica of late. — Photos: Pixabay
The continent remains remote, hard to reach and expensive though the growing number of visitors means it is losing some of its uniqueness.
“Antarctica is slowly becoming a more ‘normal’ travel destination, a place like many others,” says Hardy.
“A few years ago, hashtags like #AntarcticTourism and #DrakePassage suddenly went viral on the Internet,” says Hardy, referring to the strait between the tip of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula, known for its unpredictable waves.
Influencers are keenly aware that the more remote a destination, the more likely they are to attract followers, often sharing videos of themselves sipping wine against a backdrop of icebergs, racking up millions of views.
“Of course, Tiktok attracts mainly young people – so it’s no wonder that the market for this age group is growing particularly strongly,” says Hardy.
While some influencers prioritise engagement over environmental impact, pushing boundaries to garner attention, others are simply copying trends set by fellow travellers.
This growing trend stands in stark contrast to traditional scientific expeditions.
Risks and rules
Though research and tourism in the Southern Ocean have co-existed for a long time, the latest developments have appalled the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC).
“Antarctica is known to be ‘one of the last great wildernesses on Earth’ but we are now seeing a risk of Antarctica becoming an ‘adventurous playground’ for humans to entertain themselves,” says Ricardo Roura, senior adviser of ASOC.
Social media offers influencers more and more platforms to spread their Antarctic experiences, he says, meaning it is ever more important to regulate tourism in the region.
Shockingly, graffiti was found on a historic building on the volcanic island of Deception Island, one of the most interesting places in the region.
The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) called this “thoughtless vandalism” and was “shocked and disgusted”. No visitor who had travelled with one of the IAATO members was responsible, the association added.
Otherwise, there is little evidence so far of the negative effects of the boom, though this is hard to monitor consistently, says ASOC’s Roura. While the industry has a range of guidelines and measures in place, it is questionable whether these are sufficient.
Some industry experts are worried about the implications of having hundreds of tourists enter penguin colonies daily. — Pixabay
Microplastics and noise pollution are just two of the potential problems, he says. There are around 50 to 100 places where large numbers of tourists gather regularly and it is inevitable this will cause damage.
He worries about the hundreds of tourists permitted to enter penguin colonies every day, even if they have to keep a distance of a few metres from the animals and the number of visitors is limited.
“Even those basic rules may need to be revisited,” he says, suggesting designated areas where tourism is no longer allowed.
But the IAATO says a 2019 study showed that the penguins did not have elevated stress hormones so do not appear to be disturbed by the visitors. It says strict rules and guidelines are enforced by expert staff on site.
Many of the rules are based on the Antarctic Treaty, which came into force in 1961 and has more than 50 member states as signatories. The treaty provides for the exclusively peaceful utilisation of Antarctica, primarily for scientific research, plus a ban on military activities.
Researcher Hardy fears some signatories may realise that the region is less unique than it once was, and that hotels and other tourist structures will be built, so far strictly forbidden as only overnight stays in tents are allowed.
“Visiting Antarctica is a privilege. Anyone travelling to the region has a responsibility to do so respectfully,” says IAATO.
Those who do so should choose a tour operator that focuses chiefly on environmentally conscious ethics to ensure Antarctica remains as majestic for future generations as it is today.
The Antarctic Treaty Parties next confer in June, when these questions are to be considered more fully. – CAROLA FRENTZEN/dpa
