A comparative analysis of regulatory instruments for managing marine-based tourism in Arctic Canada and the Ross Sea

Abstract

Human activities, including tourism, in the Polar Regions are increasing and diversifying. The most common mode of transport in support of polar tourism is by cruise ship. At the same time, we are witnessing a rapid increase in the number of small vessels, such as yachts, exploring the Polar Regions. From a political and legal perspective, operating cruises to the Arctic and Antarctic is highly complex. In order to better understand whether the current regulatory mechanisms are sufficient for the rapidly changing nature of Polar marine tourism activities, this poster presents the results of a desk-based analysis of the regulatory landscape in two contrasting case studies. Our first case study focuses on Arctic Canada, where significant regulatory complexity currently represents significant barriers to entry for new tourism operators. The second case study we explore is marine tourism to the Ross Sea region, where a short season and the destinations remoteness limit the number of operators. Tourism here, and across the entire Antarctic region, is subject to high-level regulation under the Antarctic Treaty System as enacted by national jurisdictions. The interplay of international regulation through, e.g., the IMOs Polar Code or UNCLOS, with national policies is the focus of our examination.