Tourism in polar regions and the sub-Antarctic islands

Tourism in the Antarctic is coordinated by the International Association of Anrarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) which has regular meetings with the Antarctic Treaty parties. It keeps full records of visitation to the Antarctic and develops guidelines for the conduct of tourist activities so that the needs of tourists, the science community and the Antarctic environment are cared for. The sub-Antarctic has not been a major tourist destination or regulatory focus for IAATO as most sub-Antarctic islands are under national jurisdiction; thus visits to this region are either on the way to or from the Antarctic. Considerable visitation to the sub-Antarctic is conducted by non-IAATO operators. Statistics equivalent to those collected for the Antarctic are not available through IAATO; however, many of the IAATO guidelines are relevant to sub-Antarctic activities. This paper outlines IAATO's history, its guidelines and issues for the future