Hobart, AUSTRALIA - The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) reported to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM XXXV) this week that tourism is expected to increase during the 2012-13 season, with an estimated 34,950 Antarctic passengers overall to be carried by IAATO operators. This is still well below the 46,265 carried during the 2007-08 Antarctic season.
The statistic was contained in one of several Information Papers on tourism activities presented at ATCM, which began Monday, June 11 and runs through Wednesday, June 20 in Hobart, Australia. The papers are now available on the IAATO website.
IAATO has also updated its annual Antarctic Tourism Fact Sheet, providing copies to all ATCM delegates; the Fact Sheet also can be downloaded from the IAATO website.
The full press release can be downloaded from the Media Center on the IAATO website.