REGULATING ONE OF THE LAST TOURISM FRONTIERS - ANTARCTICA

The Antarctic continent has remained relatively unaffected by tourism, one of the world's fastest growing industries, even if recent decades have witnessed an ever-increasing rate of growth in tourist numbers. Although the 1959 Antarctic Treaty made no provision for tourism, the situation is not completely unregulated. The Antarctic Treaty parties have already adopted recommendations to cover specific problems, while national legislation regulates the activities of tourists from certain countries. Nevertheless, there are grounds for concern, and the perceived inadequacies of the existing arrangements have prompted debate regarding the respective merits of either the adoption of further national legislation or the introduction of an Antarctic tourism regime. © 1990.