The role of weather, water, ice and climate (WWIC) information for Antarctic tourism

Abstract

The tourism sector in Antarctica has witnessed considerable growth and diversification over the last decade. To help facilitate safe travel in remote and dynamic polar environments more detailed and specialised weather, water, ice and climate (WWIC) information services are required. However, there is not a sufficiently detailed understanding of what such specialised polar environmental forecasting services should look like, to ensure that tourism operators receive timely and targeted information that can assist them in decision-making. Given the paucity of research, this poster seeks to explore the following overarching question: What is known about the role of WWIC information in Antarctic tourism (i.e. how is WWIC information used, and what are the WWIC needs of the sector?) This poster is the result of an extensive literature review coupled with three years of collective brainstorming, focus-group discussions and a number of workshops involving researchers and representatives of the WWIC user community. This research is part of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Polar Prediction Projects (PPP) Societal and Economic Research and Applications (PPP-SERA) working group. The primary goal of the PPP is to advance scientific knowledge such that society may benefit through improved services. The authors of this presentation are members of PPP-SERA.