IAATO explains climate change for Antarctic travelers

The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) continues to be a great source of information and education for travelers heading south to the frozen continent. Last week we told you about their efforts to keep the sailors aboard private yachts, well informed of the issues involved with navigating the Antarctic waters, helping to make the region even safer for travel. But beyond promoting safe travel in the Southern Ocean, the IAATO’s other chief concern is protecting the environment. To that end they have released a document entitled “Climate Change in Antarctica – Understanding the Facts” which is designed to educate Antarctic travelers about the threats to the environments which they’ll be traveling through.

The document, which was created in collaboration with the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), is a fair and unbiased look at the impact of climate change on Antarctica, which plays a vital role in the circulation of both the atmospheric and ocean currents. Additionally, Antarctica contains 90% of the world’s ice and 70% of its fresh water, which makes it all the more valuable for the long term health of life on Earth.

Antarctica has long served as a barometer for the health of the planet, and as climate change continues to spread, its impact on the continent is undeniable. For instance, temperatures on the Antarctic Peninsula have increased by more 3ºC over the past 50 years, which is nearly ten times the average rate for the rest of the world. Meanwhile, the large ozone hole that made news years ago, has led to a 15% increase in westerly winds, which have helped to insulate the continent, keeping Antarctica’s interior largely unchanged in terms of temperature and snow fall.

What does all of this have to do with travel to Antarctica? Clearly the report demonstrates how fragile the environment is there, and how important it is to protect it – something the IAATO has a vested interest in. The organization works with its members to help limit the impact of travel to the region, and in the process reduce their carbon footprint. The idea is for travelers to visit but have zero impact on the place, ensuring that it remains a healthy and vital destination for future adventure travelers to enjoy as well.

The Antarctic travel season is just now getting underway, and with the global economy remaining sluggish, a number of travel companies are once again offering excellent deals for tours to the region. If you’ve ever had a desire to visit the the place, this may be the best time to go.

[Photo credit: IAATO]

Antarctic tour operators offer tips for independent sailors

The Antarctic tourism season is just getting underway and travelers the world over are preparing to make the journey to the bottom of the planet where they’ll be treated to one of the most remote and untouched destinations on Earth. The vast majority of those travelers will book their visit with a travel company and will end up cruising the Southern Ocean aboard a ship that is specially designed to safely navigate those waters.

But some of the more adventurous travelers will actually make an independent journey to Antarctica, electing to sail aboard their own private yachts. To help those sailors, the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) has released a set of guidelines and requirements for those traveling off Antarctica aboard a sailing or motorized vessel that carries 12 or fewer passengers. Those guidelines are designed to not only help keep travelers to the region safe, but also protect the fragile Antarctic environment as well.

Amongst the resources made available for independent travelers sailing below 60ºS are information on the permits and legislative requirements from various countries of origin, as well as guidelines for anticipating some of the potential risks for traveling in the area. The IAATO also spells out etiquette for contact with indigenous wildlife, as well as encounters with other ships, both private and commercial. These resources and much more can be found at IAATO.org/yachts.

The IAATO is an organization that works with its members to promote safe and environmentally friendly travel to Antarctica. Over the past couple of years there have been several high profile incidents in the region, but the IAATO has made some positive recommendations to help its members to avoid future issues while keeping clients safe and preventing environmental disasters. As a result, there are fewer vessels traveling the Antarctic waters and the region is safer to visit than it has been in some time.

For adventure travelers, Antarctica often represents their ultimate destination. Whether the travel their on a commercial tour or as an independent sailor, the IAATO is dedicated to helping them realize their dreams of seeing that place in a safe and responsible manner.

[Photo credit: The IAATO]

Antarctic tour operators recommend further safety measures

Just a few short weeks before the Antarctic cruise season gets underway, the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) has recommended further safety measures in the wake of several high profile accidents in the region over the past few years.

The IAATO is a completely voluntary organization, made up of companies that operate cruises in the Southern Ocean. In recent months it has taken a leadership role to ensure the safety of tourists traveling in the waters off the Antarctica, with their most recent recommendations detailed in a press release last week. These include continually reviewing information services that provide the most accurate and up-to-date information on weather and ice conditions, as well as staying abreast of changes in technology that may help keep the ships safer in the dangerous waters of the Southern Ocean. The IAATO also recommends that tour companies review their emergency procedures on a regular basis, practice onboard safety drills, and stress the importance of proper cold weather attire for passengers and crew.

Over the course of the past few years, there have been a series of close calls with cruise ships in the Antarctic, including the sinking of a ship called the Explorer in November of 2007, and two more vessels running aground during the cruise season last year. While none of this incidences resulted in casualties, they have led some to believe that it is only a matter of time before disaster strikes. This resulted in the IAATO making a series of recommendations like these to try to bring a higher level of safety to travel in the region.

Looking over these recommendations, it is kind of scary to think that the members of the IAATO have to be reminded of these things. They seem like they should be common sense and regular business practices to ensure safety of ships traveling in one of the more potentially dangerous regions of the world. Still, any measures that remind tour operators and travelers to be aware of their surroundings are probably good ones, and considering I’d like to travel to the Antarctic one day, I’ll make that journey more easily knowing that safety is a major focus.

Antarctic Tourism Down

The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators or IAATO is reporting that the number of tourists visiting Antarctica dropped dramatically in 2008 according to a report from Outside Online. According to the preliminary numbers from 2008, 36,000 people visited the frozen continent, that’s down from the record high of 46,000 the year before.

The reason for the sharp drop? Like all things right now, the global recession is being blamed for the down turn, and 2009 is expected to remain slow. The IAATO predicts that the numbers will begin to rebound in 2010, but probably won’t flirt with those record numbers again until at least 2011 or 2012.

The down turn in visitors to Antarctica is likely to be hailed as good news by environmentalists, who have been issuing dire warnings the past few years on the impact that travel in the area would have on the fragile climate there. Some have called for putting caps on the number of visitors to the region to help protect the penguine and seal populations, while others cite the near disasterous accidents involving cruise ships over the past couple of years as reasons why there should be limits to travel in the area.

A spokesman for the IAATO stresses that the continent is massive in size, larger than Australia, and gets relatively few visitors each year, saying that the number of tourists “would fill a football stadium”. The organization also stresses that the travel companies chartered to operate in the area are committed to protecting the environment and protecting their clients.

It’s doubtful that we’ll ever see limits placed on the number of visitors to Antarctica, but thanks to the recession, it looks like there will be natural limits in place.