ABSTRACT
In the 21st century, visitor numbers to polar regions are expanding rapidly (Snyder, 2007; Dawson et al, 2007) This growth is due, in large part, to a growing interest among visitors in exploring some of the last tourism frontiers on Earth (Hall, 2007) and also to accelerated changes in biological, climatic and oceanographic conditions that stem from natural and human-induced climate change (Stewart and Draper, 2006; Snyder and Stonehouse, 2007) Rising temperatures and melting sea ice are expanding the number of accessible destinations, lengthening tourism seasons, and opening previously remote and austere environments to the global cruise ship industry (Stonehouse and Snyder, 2007).
