International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators

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International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators , abbreviated to IAATO , is an international association of tour operators targeting Antarctica to ensure safe, responsible and environmentally friendly tourism on site.

The association, based in Newport, Rhode Island , was founded in 1991 and has set detailed standards for privately organized trips to protect the environment and the safety of travelers. The members undertake to adhere to the rules they have set themselves, recommend them to third parties and generally promote their goals. The association has over 100 members from around 20 countries. Kim Crosbie has been the managing director since 2013 . The association is based in Newport (Rhode Island) in the USA.

Akademik Sergey Vavilov , Russian cruise ship in the Lemaire Channel

founding

The association was founded by seven tour operators. Tourism in Antarctica was still in its modest beginnings until the beginning of the 1990s; in the 1991/92 season, only 6,400 travelers were counted. However, growth was evident. In the 2017/18 season, 42,576 visitors visited Antarctica. Cause for founding was signed in 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty). The protocol establishes comprehensive protection for the continent's sensitive ecosystem . Among other things, it contains specific regulations for environmentally friendly behavior. By founding an international association, the members were able to bundle their interests in the practical design of the new regulations for the general benefit.

membership

Members are mainly tour operators of cruises, but also organizers of shore excursions, charter companies or owners of sports boats as well as private or public organizations that are closely related to these activities. Currently (2015) all private operators of cruises to the Antarctic have a membership. In addition to the company, membership also relates to the ships registered. Every cruise ship in Antarctica has to pay a fee to the IAATO per passenger.

Areas of regulation

The ships are divided into four categories according to the maximum number of passengers: up to 12 passengers, 13 to 200 passengers, 201 to 500 passengers and over 500 passengers. Depending on the category, it is regulated to what extent landings with inflatable boats are permitted, whereby ships with more than 200 passengers are already subject to severe restrictions and in the case of over 500 passengers, landings are generally not allowed.

All ships must register their travel route with the IAATO in advance. This also serves to coordinate the smooth running of the voyages and landings of the various ships. The travel routes are followed by the IAATO via satellite. The ships must have adequate insurance, medical care and experienced personnel. For example, it is stipulated at which locations landings are allowed and how visitors should behave when landings. So you can't leave any rubbish behind and it is regulated what distance you have to keep when approaching wild animals. The maximum number of visitors who are allowed to be on land at the same time is also stipulated. To protect the environment, heavy oil is banned as a marine fuel. The regulations also include reporting obligations. Further details on the extensive regulations can be found on the IAATO website.

See also

Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ History of IAATO ( en ) In: IAATO website . Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  2. ↑ Visiting Antarctica and The IAATO . Lindblad Expeditions - National Geographic. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  3. ↑ "We, on the other hand, are much more efficient" . In: Polar News . No. 23 , July 2016, p. 42 ( polar-reisen.ch ).
  4. ^ IAATO meets in Providence, USA . Polar news. June 10, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  5. ^ IAATO member . Bark Europe website. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  6. ↑ IAATO reports latest Antarctic tourism figures ahead of responsible tourism conference. (PDF) IAATO, April 30, 2018, accessed on July 29, 2018 (English).
  7. ↑ IAATO . Federal Environment Agency. Retrieved March 4, 2015.