Mass tourism to the eternal ice Influencers are now also turning Antarctica into a playground
Professor Anne Hardy from the University of Tasmania is concerned about the sharp rise in visitor numbers.
Image: dpa
Sailing the icy waters of Antarctica on a ship is a dream for many.
Image: dpa
Getting up close and personal with penguins appeals to most tourists.
Image: dpa
Are the penguins stressed because of the many visitors? Opinions differ on this.
Image: dpa
Many expeditions make it possible to experience Antarctica's wildlife up close.
Image: dpa
Some experts say that tourism in Antarctica needs to be more strictly regulated.
Image: dpa
How close is too close? Experts are asking themselves this question when it comes to the penguin colonies in Antarctica and tourists.
Image: dpa
Ships now travel to the Southern Ocean for all interests and inclinations.
Image: dpa
Watching penguins is a highlight of most shore excursions.
Image: dpa
More and more people want to travel to the eternal ice of Antarctica - partly because of social networks.
Image: dpa
Professor Anne Hardy from the University of Tasmania is concerned about the sharp rise in visitor numbers.
Image: dpa
Sailing the icy waters of Antarctica on a ship is a dream for many.
Image: dpa
Getting up close and personal with penguins appeals to most tourists.
Image: dpa
Are the penguins stressed because of the many visitors? Opinions differ on this.
Image: dpa
Many expeditions make it possible to experience Antarctica's wildlife up close.
Image: dpa
Some experts say that tourism in Antarctica needs to be more strictly regulated.
Image: dpa
How close is too close? Experts are asking themselves this question when it comes to the penguin colonies in Antarctica and tourists.
Image: dpa
Ships now travel to the Southern Ocean for all interests and inclinations.
Image: dpa
Watching penguins is a highlight of most shore excursions.
Image: dpa
More and more people want to travel to the eternal ice of Antarctica - partly because of social networks.
Image: dpa
Antarctica is recording higher visitor numbers than ever before. A graffiti recently caused horror there. Experts are sounding the alarm: is this already mass tourism? And what does TikTok have to do with it?
03.02.2025, 23:52
04.02.2025, 05:59
dpa
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Doctors' congresses and swingers' cruises: Antarctica is now also becoming a popular tourist destination.
- Unsurprisingly, the trend is being fueled by influencers on TikTok and co.
- Researchers fear that Antarctica is degenerating into a kind of adventure playground where people deliberately misbehave in order to generate clicks.
The Antarctic. Huge icebergs in shimmering shades of blue, penguin colonies and breathtaking fjords - the only uninhabited continent on Earth has long been considered a dream destination at the end of the world. A place for explorers and adventurers, out of reach for most.
But in a world dominated by social media and influencers, the last frontiers of civilization are falling. According to experts, tourism in the Southern Ocean has recently exploded, partly due to platforms such as TikTok.
The figures speak for themselves: in the mid-1990s, the number of visitors was still less than 8,000. Ten years later - in the 2003/2004 season - 20,000 people had already visited the 14 million square kilometer "White Continent". Even then, the Australian government's "Antarctic Program" spoke of an impending tourist invasion. That was before the global triumph of social media.
And today? In the 2023/2024 season, the IAATO, an international association of tour operators with Antarctica as their destination, recorded almost 123,000 visitors. More than ever before. Is that already mass tourism?
Medical congresses and swingers cruises
"Of course, you can't compare the figures with those in Venice, Barcelona or Phi Phi Island," says Anne Hardy, professor at the University of Tasmania. "But what we are seeing in Antarctica is an increasing diversification away from niche tourism." Hardy has been researching tourism and society for 25 years and has been to Antarctica three times herself.
Expedition ships with a maximum of 500 passengers, which make various shore excursions, make up the largest proportion of the tours on offer. However, there is also a rapidly growing market for ships without shore leave, but with up to 1000 people on board, says Hardy.
Cruises to the Southern Ocean are now offered for every conceivable interest and inclination, says the expert. For example, the "Antarctica Pride Cruise" for LGBTQ+ guests will soon be setting sail. "The range extends from wellness tours and medical congresses to swinger ships."
The most recent "Antarctica Swinger Cruise" offered its experimental guests "erotic entertainment, sensual playrooms, sexy theme evenings and international DJs" - as well as "hot activities on board" as a counterbalance to the Antarctic cold, so to speak.
Speaking of DJs: the famous US DJ Diplo performed "Live from Antarctica" in December 2023, making him the first of his kind to play on all seven continents. "Epic!" commented fans on TikTok.
Of course, the continent is still a very remote, difficult to reach and expensive place, but the increasing number of visitors means it is losing some of its uniqueness. "Antarctica is slowly becoming a more "normal" travel destination, a place like many others," says Hardy.
Clips from the eternal ice clicked millions of times
How did this happen? "A few years ago, hashtags like #AntarcticTourism or #DrakePassage suddenly went viral on the internet," says Hardy. The latter refers to the strait between the tip of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula, which is known for its unpredictable waves.
The more inaccessible a region, the more followers are guaranteed - influencers know that. Their clips on TikTok, in which they present themselves beaming with a wine glass in their hand in front of icebergs, achieve millions of clicks. As a result, enthusiastic followers are now also dreaming of Antarctica. "Of course, it's mainly young people who are on TikTok - so it's no wonder that the market for this age group is growing particularly strongly," says Hardy.
With some influencers, you get the feeling that they don't really care about the unique environment in the polar region and are mainly concerned with their ego and getting lots of likes. They even enjoy being a bit out of line. "It's all posted online - and others imitate it in turn." This no longer has anything to do with scientific expeditions. Yet research and tourism in the Southern Ocean coexisted wonderfully for a long time.
Graffiti causes horror
The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) - an association of environmental protection organizations from around the world - is also concerned about the trend. "Antarctica is considered one of the last great wilderness areas on Earth, but we see the danger that it will soon become a kind of adventure playground for the enjoyment of humans," says ASOC advisor Ricardo Roura.
The triumph of social media offers influencers more and more platforms to spread their Antarctic experiences. It is therefore more important than ever to regulate tourism in the region.
Just recently, a dramatic wake-up call was issued: large graffiti was discovered on a historic building on the volcanic island of Deception Island - one of the most fascinating places in the region. The IAATO spoke of "reckless vandalism" and was "shocked and disgusted". However, no visitor who had traveled with one of the IAATO members was responsible for this, the association stated.
Effects ranging from microplastics to noise
Otherwise, there is little evidence so far of any actual negative effects of the boom - but on the other hand, constant monitoring is also difficult, says ASOC expert Roura. Although the industry has a range of guidelines and measures in place, it is questionable whether these are sufficient.
Microplastics and noise pollution are just two of the potential problems, he says. There are around 50 to 100 places where large numbers of tourists are regularly found - damage caused by such repeated activities in certain areas is inevitable.
For example, it is worrying that hundreds of tourists are allowed into penguin colonies every day, even if they have to keep a distance of a few meters between themselves and the animals and the number of visitors is limited. "Even these rules may need to be reconsidered," emphasized Roura. Among other things, this could be done by designating areas where tourism is no longer permitted at all.
The IAATO, on the other hand, argues that a 2019 study showed that the penguins did not have elevated stress hormones - and therefore did not appear to be disturbed by the visitors. There are strict rules and guidelines that are enforced by expert staff on site.
Hotels in Antarctica soon?
Many of these rules are based on the Antarctic Treaty, which came into force in 1961 and now has more than 50 member states. The treaty provides for the exclusively peaceful use of Antarctica, primarily for the purposes of scientific research, as well as a ban on military activities.
Researcher Anne Hardy fears that some of the signatories may soon come to the conclusion that the region is no longer as unique as it once was. Then the last frontier of civilization could actually fall if hotels and other tourist structures were built - something that has been strictly forbidden up to now. Only overnight stays in tents are permitted.
"A visit to Antarctica is a privilege. Everyone who travels to this region has a responsibility to do so respectfully," emphasizes the IAATO. Anyone who decides to do so should definitely choose a tour operator that focuses on environmentally conscious ethics. The aim is to leave Antarctica just as majestic for future generations as it is today. The next conference of the Antarctic Treaty Parties, which will take place in Milan in June, will soon show whether this can be achieved.
