Is Tourism Hurting Antarctica?

Imagine stepping off a ship onto Antarctica, one of the coldest and most remote places on the planet. In the distance, you see huge glaciers. Nearby, there’s nothing but snow and ice—and a few penguins.

It might seem like you’re in the only place left on Earth that hasn’t been altered by humans. But look down. You’re standing in your own footprint. 

Footprints like those are becoming harder to ignore. For many decades, it was rare for people other than scientists to visit Antarctica. But today, more and more tourists are making the trip, drawn by the southernmost continent’s stunning landscapes. Scientists warn that as the number of visitors grows, so could the mark they leave behind.

Imagine stepping off a ship onto Antarctica. It is one of the coldest and most remote places on the planet. In the distance, you see huge glaciers. Nearby, there is nothing but snow, ice, and a few penguins.

It might seem like you’re in the only place left on Earth that has not been altered by humans. But look down. You’re standing in your own footprint. 

Footprints like those are becoming harder to ignore. For many decades, it was rare for people other than scientists to visit Antarctica. But today, more and more tourists are making the trip. They are drawn by the southernmost continent’s stunning landscapes. Scientists warn that as the number of visitors grows, so could the mark they leave behind. 

Fewer than 8,000 tourists traveled to Antarctica in 1993. By 2025, that number had grown to more than 120,000 people annually, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). Some experts estimate that within a decade, the continent may attract more than 400,000 visitors a year. 

What’s fueling the increase? For many travelers, Antarctica is the ultimate bucket list destination, a chance to experience a place most people never see firsthand. And getting there has gotten easier as tourism companies offer more cruises and flights to the region.

Fewer than 8,000 tourists traveled to Antarctica in 1993. By 2025, that number had grown to more than 120,000 people a year. That is according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). Some experts estimate that within a decade, the continent may attract more than 400,000 visitors a year. 

What’s fueling the increase? For many travelers, Antarctica is the ultimate bucket list destination. It is a chance to experience a place most people never see firsthand. And getting there has gotten easier. Tourism companies offer more cruises and flights to the region.

Photos of the spectacular landscape on social media drive interest too. And climate change has created a sense of urgency: Travelers worry that if they wait, the glaciers may start to disappear and animals like seals and penguins will become rarer and more difficult to spot. 

Photographer Neill Drake understands Antarctica’s appeal. He first traveled there in 2015. “It was the first time I’ve ever been speechless,” he recalls. “When you get home, you can tell people how goofy the penguins are [and] how blue the icebergs were, but you’ll never be able to explain how you felt when you were down there.” 

Drake was so moved that he returned more than a dozen times. Now he runs the Antarctica Travel Group, which helps tourists plan trips to the continent.

Photos of the spectacular landscape on social media drive interest too. And climate change has created a sense of urgency. Travelers worry about waiting. The glaciers may start to disappear. Plus, animals like seals and penguins will become rarer and more difficult to spot. 

Photographer Neill Drake understands Antarctica’s appeal. He first traveled there in 2015. “It was the first time I’ve ever been speechless,” he recalls. “When you get home, you can tell people how goofy the penguins are [and] how blue the icebergs were, but you’ll never be able to explain how you felt when you were down there.” 

Drake was so moved that he returned more than a dozen times. Now he runs the Antarctica Travel Group. It helps tourists plan trips to the continent.

At first glance, Antarctica may still look untouched. But scientists worry appearances don’t tell the full story. 

Daniela Cajiao Vargas is a scientist who studies tourism’s impact on Antarctic ecosystems. She points out that though the continent is large—roughly twice the size of Australia—about 98 percent of tourist activities are concentrated in a relatively small area, the Antarctic Peninsula (see map, below). And because of the extreme weather, tourists typically can visit only during Antarctica’s summer, which runs from October through March. That’s also the breeding season for most animal species in the region, a time when they’re especially vulnerable to human interference. 

Take penguins, for example. Antarctica and its surrounding islands are home to several penguin species, including two—emperor and Adélie penguins—not found anywhere else. During the summer, most chicks hatch, take their first steps, shed fluffy baby feathers, and eventually make their first journey to the sea. Many tourists travel thousands of miles to see these milestones. But disturbing penguins at this stage of their development could have serious consequences for the animals, Vargas says. 

IAATO created guidelines in 1991 to prevent tourists from interfering with penguins and other Antarctic creatures. Visitors are advised to stay at least 15 feet away from wildlife and avoid making loud noises or using flash photography, among other things, that might disrupt the animals’ normal activities. 

Drake says most Antarctic tour operators follow those guidelines. But there are no laws regulating tourists. Antarctica is not owned by any country. Instead, it is governed by a pact between 58 nations, including the United States. The Antarctic Treaty states that the continent can be used only for peaceful purposes and scientific research that will be shared with everyone. The agreement was enacted in 1961, long before visitors started flocking to the landmass, so it doesn’t say anything about tourists. 

Plus, rules can’t prevent every disturbance, Vargas points out. Visitors sometimes break them—and penguins do too. Occasionally, curious chicks approach tourists.

At first glance, Antarctica may still look untouched. But scientists worry appearances do not tell the full story. 

Daniela Cajiao Vargas is a scientist. She studies tourism’s impact on Antarctic ecosystems. Antarctica is large. It is roughly twice the size of Australia. But she points out that about 98 percent of tourist activities take place in a relatively small area, the Antarctic Peninsula (see map, below). And there is extreme weather. So tourists typically can visit only during Antarctica’s summer. It runs from October through March. That is also the breeding season for most animal species in the region. They are especially vulnerable to human interference during this time.

Take penguins, for example. Antarctica and its surrounding islands are home to several penguin species. That includes two species not found anywhere else. Those are the emperor and Adélie penguins. During the summer, most chicks hatch. They take their first steps. They shed fluffy baby feathers. And they eventually make their first journey to the sea. Many tourists travel thousands of miles to see these milestones. But disturbing penguins at this stage of their development could have serious consequences for the animals, Vargas says. 

IAATO created guidelines in 1991. They prevent tourists from interfering with penguins and other Antarctic creatures. Visitors are advised to stay at least 15 feet away from wildlife. They should also avoid making loud noises or using flash photography. They should not do things that disrupt the animals’ normal activities. 

Drake says most Antarctic tour operators follow those guidelines. But there are no laws regulating tourists. Antarctica is not owned by any country. Instead, it is governed by a pact between 58 nations. That includes the United States. The Antarctic Treaty states that the continent can be used only for peaceful purposes and scientific research that will be shared with everyone. The agreement was enacted in 1961. That was long before visitors started flocking to the landmass. So it does not say anything about tourists. 

Plus, rules cannot prevent every disturbance, Vargas points out. Visitors sometimes break them. And penguins do too. Occasionally, curious chicks approach tourists.

Experts say increased tourism also poses long-term risks. More visitors mean more chances for someone to accidentally introduce a seed, bacteria, virus, or another organism that doesn’t belong. If a non-native species takes hold, it could disrupt an ecosystem that evolved in isolation for millions of years.

Vargas says climate change has increased this threat. A century ago, the extreme cold in Antarctica would have made it difficult for a new species to become established there. But temperatures are rising. In the Antarctic Peninsula, the air has warmed by about 5.4° Fahrenheit since the 1950s. That change is making the continent more hospitable to life. Vargas says she occasionally sees patches of invasive plants popping through thinner layers of snow and ice. 

Even if visitors follow every single rule, their presence might still have an impact. That’s what worries many scientists: It’s not necessarily the footprint left by a single tourist but the cumulative effect of hundreds of thousands of people making the trip over several decades. 

“So the question is, do we need to change the rules so we can be more respectful of the penguins?” Vargas asks. “Or do we really need to visit the penguins at all?”

Experts say increased tourism also poses long-term risks. More visitors mean more chances for someone to accidentally introduce a seed, bacteria, virus, or another organism that does not belong. A non-native species could take hold. That could disrupt an ecosystem that evolved in isolation for millions of years.

Vargas says climate change has increased this threat. A century ago, the extreme cold in Antarctica would have made it difficult for a new species to become established there. But temperatures are rising. In the Antarctic Peninsula, the air has warmed by about 5.4° Fahrenheit since the 1950s. That change is making the continent more hospitable to life. Vargas says she occasionally sees patches of invasive plants. They pop through thinner layers of snow and ice. 

And what if visitors follow every single rule? Their presence might still have an impact. That is what worries many scientists. They say it is not necessarily the footprint left by a single tourist. It is the cumulative effect of hundreds of thousands of people making the trip over several decades. 

“So the question is, do we need to change the rules so we can be more respectful of the penguins?” Vargas asks. “Or do we really need to visit the penguins at all?”

Still, many people argue that tourism actually helps Antarctica. They say that visitors who experience the continent in person often return home determined to protect it. People in the tourism industry call these visitors “Antarctic ambassadors.”

That’s what Drake says happened to him. He felt inspired on his first trip when he saw penguins climbing up and down rocks. “I thought to myself, This is it. This is why this world is worth protecting,” he says. 

Tour operators also use the visits to educate people. Many guides are experts in polar exploration and science, and they teach travelers about Antarctica and the importance of preserving it.

“We want people to go home feeling that connection to Antarctica and then making changes in their own lives,” Drake explains. 

But not everyone is convinced by that argument. Ricardo Roura is a scientist and senior adviser to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, an environmental group. He says you shouldn’t have to go to the bottom of the world to learn how to take care of it. “You don’t need to travel to Antarctica to learn to recycle your waste back at home,” Roura says.

Still, many people argue that tourism actually helps Antarctica. They say that visitors who experience the continent in person often return home determined to protect it. People in the tourism industry call these visitors “Antarctic ambassadors.”

That is what Drake says happened to him. He felt inspired on his first trip. He saw penguins climbing up and down rocks. “I thought to myself, This is it. This is why this world is worth protecting,” he says. 

Tour operators also use the visits to educate people. Many guides are experts in polar exploration and science. They teach travelers about Antarctica and the importance of preserving it.

“We want people to go home feeling that connection to Antarctica and then making changes in their own lives,” Drake explains. 

But not everyone is convinced by that argument. Ricardo Roura is a scientist and senior adviser to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition. That is an environmental group. He says you should not have to go to the bottom of the world to learn how to take care of it. “You don’t need to travel to Antarctica to learn to recycle your waste back at home,” Roura says.

What, if anything, should be done about Antarctica’s growing popularity? Conservation groups are pushing to add tourism regulations to the Antarctic Treaty. The groups want to limit the number of visitors allowed at animal breeding sites. They also want to restrict when and how often certain places can be visited, and require more monitoring so scientists can better understand tourism’s effects.

Getting the Antarctic Treaty countries to agree on new rules is not guaranteed. But that may change as the number of unofficial Antarctic ambassadors around the world continues to grow. 

Until then, Roura will keep pushing to protect the continent. “It is something precious and unique,” he explains. “It took millions of years to develop. Why should we damage it in some way?”

Should anything be done about Antarctica’s growing popularity? Conservation groups are pushing to add tourism regulations to the Antarctic Treaty. The groups want to limit the number of visitors allowed at animal breeding sites. They also want to restrict when and how often certain places can be visited. And they want to require more monitoring. That would help scientists better understand tourism’s effects.

Getting the Antarctic Treaty countries to agree on new rules is not guaranteed. But the number of unofficial Antarctic ambassadors around the world continues to grow. So things could change.

Until then, Roura will keep pushing to protect the continent. “It is something precious and unique,” he explains. “It took millions of years to develop. Why should we damage it in some way?”