Protecting Antarctica from Tourists

Chinese government officials have asked Chinese citizens to avoid Antarctica as a travel destination. Officials cited the fragility of the continent's ecosystem as the driving force behind the request. The country has not made this an official travel restriction, but the government has plans to regulate its travel agencies if South Pole tourism continues.

The number of all vacationing travelers visiting Antarctica has quadrupled over the last eight years, and this has scientists worried. Conservation and preservation of the icy land may be impeded by the rising tourism market. If left unchecked, the number of tourists might keep rising, and the environmental repercussions could be damaging. Also, more tourists might lead to hotels, and that might even lead to an Applebee's here or a Trump McMurdo Casino there. As I'm sure you're aware, once we change that landscape, it will be very difficult to return it to its previous glory.

The Reuters article did not mention the current impact of Antarctic tourism, but China's appeal left me questioning my own interest in visiting the penguin haven. I was a bit interested in an educational Antarctic trip I recently found in Road Scholar, but now I think I'll mull over a more eco-friendly way to explore the polar region. Wikipedia, perhaps?

Filed under: Activism, Stories, Asia, Antarctica, China