Dear MEL Topic Readers,
How the coldest place on Earth became one of the world’s hottest
vacation spots
Expeditions used to be the way to travel to Antarctica until the last decade.
Passengers had to endure days on a clumsy ship and bear small beds, shared
bathrooms, limited food choices, if any, and no or few windows. In the 1990s,
there were only around 7,000 visitors to Antarctica a year. But as tour operators
offer more inviting and enticing tour packages with luxurious cruise ships, more
people are attracted to visit the coldest continent. In fact, the number of
visitors to Antarctica jumped to 122,000 this year, which was just below 44,000
in 2017. Those visitors enjoy walking on the ice, seeing majestic views and
cute penguins, and breathing the dry and cold air. Another more affordable and
physically less demanding option is to just cruise to Antarctica on a large
ship without stepping on the ice. The passengers can still enjoy seeing the
majestic views of icebergs and glaciers and feeling the icy air from the deck.
Whichever the travel options might be, there are concerns about the lives and environment
in Antarctica, including black soot from cruise ships, carbon dioxide from
humans, and human-borne bacteria and viruses to the wildlife. Over-tourism is
happening on all continents after the pandemic.
Read the article and learn about new tourism options for Antarctica.
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