Stakeholder perspectives on Antarctic tourism

Abstract

Challenges related to global warming, economic utilisation of natural resources, increased human visitation and growing science-related activities are placing pressure on Antarctica’s unique environment. In an effort to understand stakeholder perspectives on the broad topic of Antarctic conservation from one of the states involved in its governance, this study gathered the views of 124 New Zealand Antarctic stakeholders from four key stakeholder groups (government, science, commercial industry and conservationists). The study used semi-structured interviews, to gather stakeholder views on the challenges and issues facing Antarctic conservation. Issues raised by stakeholders included direct and indirect human impacts on the Antarctic environment, particularly the present and future effects of climate change; as well as the potential for resource exploitation beyond harvesting of marine living resources. Although concerns over growing human presence in Antarctica including tourism were expressed, their impacts were deemed minor. As Antarctica’s primary and largest commercial activity, tourism represents a range of risks and opportunities for the future of Antarctic tourism. Specifically, this presentation explores the range of perspectives held by this sample of New Zealand’s Antarctic community on the current and future development of tourism in the Antarctic.