News in this edition:

24-01. IAATO To Consider Changing Nature of Antarctic Tourism.
24-02. Identification of Cumulative Impacts a Complex Problem.
24-03. East Antarctic Overflights Reduced, But Pax To Pass 20,000 Mark.
24-04. Heard Group Yet To Announce Transport Arrangements.
24-05. Coming Events Relevant to Non-Government Activities.

IN READING PLEASE NOTE: This newsletter is being produced in the interest of improved information sharing in the Antarctic community. Inclusion of information in it should not be taken to imply endorsement, by the publishers of ANAN News, of any company, program or associated activity that is listed, nor that the activity has necessarily completed all environmental impact assessments required under the legislation of the 'home' nation.

Discussions on the changing nature of Antarctic tourism and a range of other issues related to tourist activity in the region are on the agenda of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators' (IAATO) annual meeting which is to be held in Hobart, Australia, from 26-29 June. Consideration of this issue stems from the growth and diversification of non-governmental activities in recent years, and reflects general concern about the growing range of ventures needing management which lie outside IAATO's current small-scale sea-based tourism focus.

IAATO's contribution to the management of the tourist activities its members undertake in Antarctica is generally acknowledged in the wider Antarctic community. It played a major role for example in the adoption of the visitor management guidelines by the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) and has been granted Observer status at Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings. In many respects it continues to lead consideration of tourism issues under the ATS umbrella, with few governments to date being willing to consider a proactive approach in this growing sector of Antarctic endeavour.

Apart from the changing nature of Antarctic tourism the first two days of the meeting will be used by IAATO members to consider in private the organisation's position on a complex range of issues. Some non-member operators, several of whom abide by IAATO guidelines but which operate vessels greater than the industry body's 400 maximum passenger limit, are also scheduled to take part in some of these closed sessions.

The first few days are to include: a review of operations conducted during the recently complete 1999-2000 austral summer; consideration of a range of related meetings held recently or scheduled in the near future, including the recently completed cumulative impacts workshop (ANAN-24/02); discussions on ways in which disease transfer between visitor sites can be prevented (ANAN-12/04, 5 January 2000); current and future site management issues; emergency evacuation and response; coordination between vessels; membership up-grades and applications for membership; and planning for the forthcoming 2000-01 season.

Days three and four are open to all interested persons and involve presentations on issues related to Antarctic tourism from IAATO and a range of government, research and other personnel from a number of nations. Many of the presentations are designed to facilitate information exchange and discussion between the industry, governmental and researchers, all of whom have a stake or interest in tourism related issues.

Just over 70 people are expected to take part in the meeting. This will include representatives of some fifteen IAATO member companies, up to a dozen people from non-IAATO tour companies, as well as government representatives and research personnel. Those attending will come from a range of countries including Australia, Belgium, Germany, the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), the Netherlands, New Zealand, United States and United Kingdom.

Next week's gathering, the first such IAATO event to be held in the Southern Hemisphere, is the eleventh annual meeting the industry body has held since its inception in 1991. The first nine took place in the U.S. capital Washington while the tenth last year was in Hamburg, Germany.

The full agenda for the meeting is available on the IAATO web site.

[ANAN-24/01]

The identification of cumulative impacts that might be occuring as a result on long-term visits by tourists to sites in the Antarctic Peninsula region presents complex challenges according to discussions held at a workshop in the U.S. from 7-9 June (ANAN-23/01, 7 June 2000). Such impacts will have to be picked out from the high variability of natural systems, including that of global change, and discussions highlighted the need for a more proactive, coordinated, approach in many fields if the issues are to be adequately addressed.

The workshop, organised by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), brought together scientists and others from a number of nations who have first hand knowledge of tourist operations and the physical and biological features of sites commonly visited by tourists in the Antarctic Peninsula area. Those taking part include researchers in the field of wildlife ecology, disease transfer, terrestrial biology, and environmental chemistry, representatives from environmental groups, members of the tourism industry, and personnel from government agencies who work in such areas as environmental management, research program development and coordination, and policy formulation.

The report from the workshop is currently in preparation and organisers say that they intend to make it available via the internet when it is completed sometime in the next few months. It is not clear at this time however just how the report will be used to promote further discussions in this important field, although IAATO is to be briefed about some of the outcomes at its annual meeting next week (ANAN-24/01).

ANAN will advise of the report's availability when it is released.

[ANAN-24/02]

The number of day overflights planned for coastal regions of East Antarctic in 2000-01 are expected fall slightly on that of the last few seasons. Despite this passenger numbers carried since the flights recommenced in 1994 are expected to exceed 20,000 during the season, and the operation is anticipated by its organisers, Australia-based Croydon Travel, as continuing well into the future.

Croydon plans to conduct six overflights from three Australian cities between early November 2000 and mid-February 2001, with a seventh flight possible depending on demand. Nine flights have been operated in each of the last three seasons using Boeing 747-400 aircraft chartered from Australian carrier Qantas (ANAN-16/05, 1 March 2000).

The reduction in flight numbers appears to be relate primarily to uncertainties as to how the Australian consumer will react to new tax arrangements which their government is to bring into effect on 1 July. Prices for the 12-13 hour flights under the new scheme range from $US540 for centre Economy seats to $US2,240 for First Class.

Overflights next austral summer will again originate from either Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide and are scheduled for 5 November, 31 December, 14, 21 and 28 January, and 11 February. Aircraft capabilities mean that they can overfly coastal areas between Wilkes Land in the west and Ross Island in the east, however the actual segment of the coast overflown depends on the location of favourable viewing conditions on the day. The majority of operations conducted to date have provided sightseeing over the area of the Trans-Antarctic Mountains in north-west Victoria Land (ANAN-8/11, 10 November 2000).

This will be the seventh straight season Croyon Travel has offered the overflights. To date 52 have been conducted which have carried a total of 19,312 people, a figure made up of 18,141 passengers and 1,171 crew. The total number of passengers who have participated in them is therefore expected to pass the 20,000 mark in late January.


An environmental impact assessment of overflight operations is prepared each year by Qantas and submitted to Australian authorities for assessment. An end of season report is also provided by the company.

[ANAN-24/03]

A group from Australia which plans to climb to the 2745 m summit of sub-Antarctic Heard Island in the South Indian Ocean (ANAN-18/06, 29 March 2000), has yet to announce how it will travel to and from the island but appears confident that transport arrangements are in hand. The expedition's main aim is to attempt to put the first all female team on the summit and four women are among the party named to date.

Should the expedition achieve its aims it would be the fourth to reach the summit, the previous successful ventures having been in 1965, 1983 and January this year (ANAN-14/01, 2 February 2000). Heard Island is very isolated and transport to and from the island is difficult and usually costly to arrange, therefore a yacht is likely to be the mode of transport currently being targetted by organisers. The successful 1965 and 1983 ventures both used yachts.

Plans announced last March indicated that twelve people would take part in expedition activities on the island but so far only eight have been named. This may reflect the size of the craft being contemplated to support the expedition program.

A web site which details the expedition's plans was opened last week.

A second separate Australian group is also currently hoping to climb the island next season however no details are publicly available about it at this time.

[ANAN-24/04]

23 June 2000 (Christchurch, New Zealand).
Workshop on Tourism in the Ross Sea Region.
Contact: v.allan@antarcticanz.govt.nz (Vivienne Allan)

25-28 June 2000 (Hobart, Australia)
IAATO year 2000 annual meeting.
Contact: iaato@iaato.org (Denise Landau)

9-15 July 2000 (Tokyo, Japan)
COMNAP (including the sub-committee on Tourism and Non-Government Operations).
Contact: jsayers@comnap.aq (Jack Sayers)

4-6 October 2000 (Boulder, United States)
American Polar Society Bi-Annual Meeting.
Contact: mckie@cires.colarado.edu (Julie McKie)

5 February 2001 (King George Island, Antarctica)
Fourth Antarctic Marathon and Half Marathon.
Contact: marathon@shore.net (Thom Gilligan)

[ANAN-24/05]

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