Tourism

Two important and related issues that concern the Antarctic region are climate change and tourism.

Antarctic tourism has grown substantially in the last decade, with roughly 40,000 visitors coming to the region in 2010. Officials work closely with the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) to establish better practices that would reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact of tour ships. These include regulations and restrictions on numbers of people ashore, planned activities, wildlife watching, pre- and post-visit activity reporting, passenger, crew, and staff briefings and emergency medical evacuation plans. The ACTM and IAATO hope more sustainable tourism will reduce the environmental impacts of the sensitive Antarctic ecosystem.

The Antarctic has become a symbol of climate change. Scientists and policymakers are focusing on changes in this environmentally sensitive region to push for its protection and the sustainable use of its scientific resources.

- Population Density of Antarctica
0.00078 people per square kilometer

- Highest Elevation in Antarctica
Vinson Massif (4,892 meters/16,050 feet)

- Most Renewable Electricity Produced in Antarctica
continent-wide (20%; wind, solar)

- Antarctica's Largest Urban Area
McMurdo Station, operated by the United States Antarctic Program: 1,000 people (summer) or 250 people (winter)

- Largest Watershed
Antarctic Ice Sheet 14 million square kilometers

- The Hopwood's will be part of the tourists visiting in 2024.Baca selengkapnya