ABSTRACT
Many ‘exotic’ tourist destinations are associated with warm climates and with the 4ses of sun, sea, sand and sex. Antarctica in general and the South Shetland Islands in particular do not offer these attributes. Antarctica is the only continent that has never had an indigenous human population. Antarctica lacks purpose-built tourism infrastructure and hence there are no landing piers or docks that cater to cruise ships. Because of the remoteness of Antarctica, commercial tourism depends on the close cooperation of the governments of the Antarctic Treaty Parties, tour operators, the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs and the tourists. Antarctic tourism is highly concentrated in only a few locations and most of the continent never sees any tourists. In 1956, one of the first Antarctic tourism activities took place in the region when a sightseeing flight passed over the South Shetland Islands and parts of the Antarctic Peninsula.
