Multilateral Tourism Policy on Antarctic

DIEGO NAVARRO

Ushuaia

Congreso; SC-HASS Standing Committee on Antarctic Humanities and Social Sciences; 2019

SCAR Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research

On the one hand, it is noted that scientific and tourism activities are the main uses allowed and in progress in the White Continent. On the other hand, it is observed that Antarctic tourism experiences an incessant growth, reinvigorated in the last years by the boom of the Chinese tourism in the world. Also, and by virtue of the Antarctic Treaty, the administration of Antarctica has invariably multilateral characteristics. Consequently, the analysis of multilateral tourism policies on Antarctica gets necessary. By virtue of this aim, several aspects are examined: international juridical elements (specific, as the Declaration of Antarctic Tourism, and related ones), intervening actors (World Tourism Organization, Signatory States of the Antarctic Treaty, main emitting countries of Antarctic tourism, IAATO), its causalities and purposes. Among other results, the following ones are highlighted: 1. the absence of specific plans for development and management as a tourist destination, 2. the protagonism of private actors, 3. the lack of specific official organisms for research, management and control of Antarctic tourism, 4. the low involvement of the highest multilateral tourism agency, the UNWTO.