Wilderness visitor managment and Antarctic tourism
This thesis investigates the question of what kind of management is needed to cope with the increasing numbers of tourists who are visiting wilderness areas in Antarctica. Previous research has addressed Antarctic tourism largely as a policy issue. This research looks at Antarctic tourism in the context of the debate on wilderness and focuses on the implications for tourism and on the thinking about protection of natural areas. Through the examination of some historic and contemporary examples of the development of tourism in natural areas, its effects, and management's responses to it, the argument is made for developing a framework for visitor management in wilderness areas that takes account of the characteristics of wilderness in Antarctica. As Antarctica's future is decided by the Antarctic Treaty System, and its members reach agreement by consensus, visitor management planning must be carried out within these constraints. Past and current responses to environmental protection and tourism, particularly in North America, are examined in order to assess the viability of a workable visitor management plan in Antarctica. The most common approach to visitors has been anthropocentric, encouraging and facilitating human uses. This results in a struggle between the enjoyment of visitors and the retention of natural areas not dominated by humans. This thesis presents new data and analyses the findings from a visitor questionnaire distributed to Antarctic cruise passengers during the 1993/94 austral summer to establish who visitors are, their motivations, their understanding of voluntary visitor guidelines, and their desire for services and facilities. This information is augmented by data drawn from on-site observations about visitor activities, the concentration of use ashore, and the success of supervisory techniques. These data provide baseline information on the characteristics of Antarctic visitors and visitation that could facilitate. the development of practical strategies for visitor impact management. Finally, this thesis outlines some potential visitor management plans that could be pursued outside the framework of Antarctic Treaty System.
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