Tourism
If the current trends continue, it is estimated that the 2008/2009 Antarctic Tourist season will bring in 40,000 visitors. Contemporary tourism only begain in the 1950’s and was off to a slow start. Your typical tourist is 60 or over with lots of extra money lying around, weeks with nothing better to do and wanting to check the last continent off the list before they kick the can. With these growing numbers there are lots of debates over enviornmental impacts. Currently, the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators is trying to regulate and document all impacts. Heres a question for you: Do the tourists have a bigger impact with higher numbers or the scientists who have more days on the ice?
Tags: tourism
December 12th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Hi Sarah,
A question:
If you are at the South Pole (or the North Pole for that matter) how do you know what time of day it is as, unless I my logic is entirely incorrerct, all the lines of longitude must merge at the poles. Ergo, if you walk around the pole you have actually travelled through all the time zones and, for that matter, what day is it and further, why shouldn’t this be a way of achieving time travel?
What a wierd thought…
December 13th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Hey Keith,
No not really a silly question. I’ve wondered it myself and had lots of people ask it. Your point is right and all the time zones merge at the pole. The South Pole, as is McMurdo/Scott Base are all on New Zealand time. The other bases are spread out around the perimeter, for the most part. They fall in their respective time zones. I can only imagine how complicated this must make things for scienctists trying to communicate. Then again, everyones cyrcadian rhythm is a little out of wack with 24 hours of day light or darkness.
~ Sarah
December 17th, 2008 at 1:27 am
Following the longitude theme, it’s always fun to ask people - without mentioning the poles - about throwing a returning boomerang around the world….
No response needed!
January 13th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Are there any hotels in Antartica
Hey Greg,
As of now there are no hotels in Antarctica. Most of the people who travel down as Scientists stay in bases which are small buildings grouped together. Some people do their experiments away from the bases and stay in tents. These tents come in all shapes and sizes, some being more stable and holding 10 people to do their research. Most of them are small 2 people sleeping tents.
If you are a tourist going to Antarctica, then you will stay on your boat and travel off in smaller boats on day trips. A few tourists will pay extra and camp on the continent but not many. Over in the Antarctic Peninsula there are some baisc structures set up for emergencies but certainly no where near a 5 star hotel!
I hope that answers your questions, let me know if you have more.
~ Sarah
April 7th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Hey Sarah ~
My son and I are coming to the presentation at REI this week. Looking forward to hearing some tales. Working a 6 month summer contract at one of the bases has always been on my to do list. How was the food?!?!?!?
April 4th, 2010 at 7:20 am
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