Sustainable Tourism Development- Antarctica and the Role of IAATO

Antarctica is the last and largest unspoiled wilderness area on earth. The Antarctic Treaty recognizes tourism as a legitimate activity. In the past two decades, the number of tourists has increased exponentially. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), founded in 1991 by seven companies, is a non-profit organization. Its primary responsibilities are to manage Antarctic tourism, regulate tourists and tour operators, and ensure the sustainable development of the resources. However, there is much discussion over whether sustainable tourism in Antarctica can ever be possible, given the long-haul flights involved in getting there and the potential to spoil such a pristine environment.
This lesson discusses the following four aspects of sustainable tourism development in Antarctica:

1. Introduction to Antarctica
2. The impact of human behavior on Antarctica
3. History and growth of Antarctic tourism
4. Sustainable tourism management in Antarctica and the role of IAATO.

The lesson attempts to answer these questions: \ Before we get into the details, please look at these questions, and we can answer them while watching the video.

1. Where is Antarctica
2. How has tourism grown in Antarctica?
3. What are factors have influenced the development of tourism in Antarctica?
4. What are the impacts of tourism activities on Antarctica?
5. In what way can Antarctica tourism be managed and environmental impacts be minimized?

There are more lessons in this series; learners could access these lessons individually depending on specific needs and progress or altogether to gain a fuller picture of the topics and issues relating to sustainable tourism development worldwide.

All lessons will be based on the case-study approach, offer customized solutions and discussions to a tourist destination’s sustainable tourism development and highlight one issue related to management needs.
This course is suitable for candidates in Grade 5, 6 (A level and further education), university-level students, or those who wish to pursue a career in the travel and tourism industry. Whether it is beginners or professional managers, this course is designed to build on your interest and passion for sustainability and provide essential information to explore the topic further.
All lesson materials are developed using real case studies, various exercises, activities, and assessments, including supporting worksheets and reading materials for lessons. The PowerPoint presentations are fully animated with scripts and ready to deliver. They contain a mixture of topic information, examples, and activities/exercises for each topic in the specification for the learning outcomes. All lessons are suitable for about 40 minutes to 1 hour of teaching time in which class exercises and homework are integrated into lessons where appropriate.