Managing Tourism in Antarctica – A Framework for the Future

Antarctic tourism has been the subject of significant debate in recent years, not only within the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) but also in the wider community. A relatively recent but now well-established industry, tourism in Antarctica is characterised by high regional growth rates and the potential for significant impacts on the environments where it occurs. This thesis addresses the research question ‘Is the current regulatory system for managing tourism in Antarctica adequate to protect the Antarctic environment?’ It examines the general theories of management of tourism and recreation in protected and wilderness areas. The importance of the relationship between site values, tourism activities, impacts and management responses is highlighted. It is noted that contemporary protected area managers inevitably put in place robust and binding legislation, site-specific management plans, and management interventions to manage wilderness areas. The tourism management framework for Antarctica is presented, in both its historical and contemporary contests. The historical and current size an