Antarctica

Our Membership Directory has full details of all our current members. Not all companies that take visitors to Antarctica are IAATO members, however the vast majority are.

Through the unique global partnership that is the Antarctic Treaty system, the entire continent is formally designated as a 'natural reserve, devoted to peace and science'. Antarctica is regarded as the last great wilderness on our planet, still pristine with wildlife and landscapes that show little evidence of direct human activity. To visit, and operate in, an environment like this comes with a responsibility to do so carefully and with minimal impact. 

IAATO has demonstrated through its work that environmentally responsible tourism is possible in remote and fragile wilderness areas. More than this, tourism is and should continue to be a driving force in Antarctic conservation. 

First-hand travel experiences foster a better understanding of a destination where no indigenous population exists to speak for itself. Visitors — representing more than 100 different nationalities on average per season — return home as ambassadors of goodwill, guardianship and peace. 

IAATO's focus on protection, management and education promotes a greater worldwide understanding and protection of the Antarctic with the goal of leaving it as pristine and majestic for future generations as it is today.

The Antarctic Treaty was signed on 1 December 1959 at Washington, D.C. and entered into force on 23 June 1961. It designated the entire continent as “a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science”, creating an unprecedented global partnership that now includes nearly 50 countries. 

Read more about the Antarctic Treaty.

The number of ships varies from year to year. To facilitate the responsible management of human activity in Antarctica by Treaty Parties, IAATO annually submits Information Papers to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM), which IAATO attends as an Invited Expert. They include a tourism overview paper which:

• Details the scope of Antarctic tourism that took place during the past season
• Provides an estimate for what is being planned for the upcoming season

You can find all of IAATO's information papers here. 

Alternatively, our Data & Statistics section provides summary information on the scope of Antarctic tourism. 

If you need any additional information, please contact us directly.