Communicating Responsibility in a Changing Antarctic Tourism Landscape

Antarctic tourism is changing. As more people travel to the continent, scrutiny of its environmental impact, governance and wider role in the Antarctic Treaty System is growing. So is the need for clear, credible and responsible communication about why tourism happens, how it is managed, and what responsibilities come with visiting one of the world’s most extraordinary and fragile environments.

As discussions around the future of Antarctic tourism evolve, including through the development of the Antarctic Treaty System’s Comprehensive and Consistent Framework for Tourism and Other Non-Governmental Activities, how the industry communicates about responsibility matters more than ever.

For Hayley Collings, IAATO’s Director of Communications, that has been the focus of nearly a decade working at the intersection of Antarctic tourism, conservation, policy, science, government and public perception. She shares her thoughts here:

I joined IAATO in 2017 with a background in journalism and UK policing, where I had spent much of my career communicating through complex, high-pressure and highly scrutinised situations. I knew about crisis communications, reputation, stakeholder management and the importance of getting the facts right. What I did not fully appreciate was how distinctive the communications challenge would be when the subject is Antarctica.

Since joining the IAATO Secretariat, I have worked at the intersection of Antarctic tourism, conservation, policy, science, government, industry and public perception. It has been almost a decade of extraordinary change and a constant reminder that responsible communication creates conditions for informed, constructive dialogue.

That matters because IAATO’s mission is often misunderstood. An association representing Antarctic tour operators can, at first glance, seem at odds with environmental protection. People reasonably ask, why an organisation seeking to protect Antarctica would support tourism there?

IAATO advocates safe, environmentally responsible practices within Antarctic tourism, helping ensure that protecting the environment and its ecosystems remain central wherever tourism occurs. We don’t encourage tourism; we don’t permit it or set visitor caps. Instead, we help manage tourism under the auspices of the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS).

Explaining that nuance has been one of my defining communications challenges.

Antarctica is remote, fragile, scientifically important and symbolically powerful. Few people experience it firsthand, so public understanding is shaped by images, headlines and assumptions. Meanwhile, scrutiny of tourism has intensified, with questions about visitor numbers, cumulative impacts, wildlife disturbance, biosecurity, emissions and ship operations, increasingly prominent.

As communicators, we cannot and should not wish that scrutiny away. It is essential to accountability, challenging organisations to ensure that their words are supported by evidence and that their actions match their stated values.

For IAATO, the answer is not to communicate more, but to communicate better. That means resisting the temptation to reduce complicated issues to convenient soundbites. It means recognising that responsible tourism is not static and that what was best practice yesterday may need to evolve tomorrow.

It also means being comfortable with complexity. Antarctic tourism cannot be considered in isolation from global travel, climate change, geopolitics or Antarctica’s role in the global climate system. Equally, tourism can deepen public understanding of the continent and create Antarctic Ambassadors - people who return home better equipped to explain why Antarctica matters and why its protection concerns us all.

Holding those different perspectives together is essential.

The development of the ATS Tourism Framework is an important part of the evolving Antarctic tourism landscape. Its significance goes beyond policy, reflecting the need for a coherent, strategic and forward-looking approach.

The question is no longer how we manage tourism, but what kind of tourism is appropriate for Antarctica, and we ensure that tourism remains compatible with the values and objectives of the ATS.

These questions require collaboration between governments, scientists, industry, NGOs and other stakeholders. IAATO has an important role in that conversation, but effective communication is equally vital: Frameworks only have meaning when people understand their purpose and implications.

My previous career taught me that reputation is built long before a crisis. Trust cannot be manufactured when scrutiny arrives; it grows from consistent behaviour, credible information and relationships developed over time.

At IAATO, much valuable communications work happens away from the spotlight: building stakeholder relationships, helping colleagues navigate sensitive issues, ensuring information is accurate and accessible, and creating opportunities for constructive dialogue before issues become crises.

IAATO has worked to strengthen its strategic communications and reputation management, with a particular focus on ensuring messaging is transparent, ethical and aligned with the organisation’s mission. This means recognising that communications cannot operate in isolation. Good communication starts with good substance. No amount of messaging can compensate for poor practice, just as good work can be undermined if it is not communicated clearly and credibly.

One project I have found rewarding is supporting IAATO’s Antarctic Ambassadorship Committee with developing the Antarctic Ambassador Expedition Program, which shifts focus from visiting Antarctica to what happens after. Every visitor can share what they have learned, challenge misconceptions, and help others understand why the continent matters.

In 2024 another milestone was leading the establishment of the Polar Communicators Forum, bringing together IAATO member sales, marketing and communications professionals to share experience and advance industry best practice. Both initiatives show how communication can drive collaboration, learning and positive change.

Looking back, perhaps the biggest lesson of the past nine years is that responsible communication is inseparable from responsible tourism.

Legitimate questions about Antarctic tourism will remain, as will the view that tourism should not take place there. Those perspectives deserve to be heard. Our responsibility is not to make every critic agree with us, but to ensure that the conversation is informed, evidence-based and conducted with integrity.

IAATO’s story is not just about tourism. It is about responsibility, stewardship, and how people can experience one of the world’s most extraordinary places without losing sight of the obligation to protect it. The quality of that conversation matters greatly.

As the Antarctic tourism landscape evolves, so must the way we communicate about it. We all have a part to play: The ATS Tourism Framework, dialogue across governments, science, industry and civil society, and every visitor who returns home with a deeper understanding of what is at stake.

For me, the most rewarding part of the work is helping to build not only an understanding of IAATO, but a broader appreciation of why Antarctica matters - and why responsible engagement with it matters too.

Almost a decade in, there is still plenty to communicate, plenty to learn and, importantly, much work to do.