Wild bears, double‐digit minus degrees and no comfortable luxury hotel within the range of vision‐ Polar Regions may not look like typical mass tourism destinations. But in fact – they are! For many years, people have been travelling by ship to the coldest regions at the end of the world for watching the abundance of wildlife and the great beauty of these unpopulated continents.
The Polar Regions are significant in global environmental change as they both are affected by climate change and influence global climate change. Climate change is expected to be greatest in Polar Regions: more rapid warming is predicted for the Arctic than for any other destination.
This increased publicity of Arctic climate change and global warming has created an unimaginable growth of natural tourism. Hundreds and thousands of people are now travelling for watching how ice is melting and animals are suffering for life.
The aim of this seminar paper is to examine aspects of a cold tourist destination and to deal critically with the impacts of tourism on Polar Regions. Therefore I am going to concentrate my focus on the following questions:
– What is polar tourism and how does it develop?
– How do both climate change and tourism affect Polar Regions?
– What are the reasons for increased polar tourism?
Therefore, the polar region is described in detail and the phenomenon of polar tourism is introduced. After a short description of cruise tourism in Polar Regions, special emphasis is put on the impacts of both climate change and tourists on the Arctic and Antarctic. Besides, the motivation for travelling to Polar Regions is explained and the polar bears viewing industry is examined.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Defining Polar Regions and polar tourism
- The Polar Regions
- Polar tourism
- Cruise tourism in Polar Regions
- Negative changes in the polar environment
- Impacts of climate change on Polar Regions
- Serious impacts on Polar Regions – made by tourists
- Last-chance tourism and the polar bear viewing industry
- Travelling in spite of melting ice
- Polar bears as symbols of last-chance tourism
- "Barriers to entry"
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This seminar paper critically examines the impacts of tourism on Polar Regions, specifically focusing on the growth of polar tourism and its relationship with climate change. It aims to explore the development of polar tourism, the effects of climate change and tourism on the Arctic and Antarctic, and the motivations behind increased travel to these regions.
- The development and characteristics of polar tourism
- The effects of climate change on Polar Regions
- The impacts of tourism on Polar Regions
- The motivations behind increased polar tourism
- The role of the polar bear viewing industry in last-chance tourism
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the concept of polar tourism and its significance in the context of climate change. It emphasizes the rapid warming of the Arctic and the growing popularity of travel to witness the effects of climate change on these regions.
- Defining Polar Regions and polar tourism: This chapter provides an overview of the geographical dimensions of the Arctic and Antarctic, defining the term "polar tourism" and outlining the current state of cruise tourism in these regions. It highlights the unique characteristics and challenges of these destinations, including their fragile ecosystems and the growing demand for travel to experience them.
- Negative changes in the polar environment: This chapter focuses on the impacts of climate change on Polar Regions, specifically on the Arctic. It examines the environmental consequences of climate change, such as melting ice, rising sea levels, and changes in wildlife populations. It also discusses the role of tourism in contributing to these changes.
- Last-chance tourism and the polar bear viewing industry: This chapter explores the phenomenon of "last-chance tourism," particularly in relation to polar bear viewing. It examines the motivations behind traveling to witness threatened species and landscapes, highlighting the "prestige value" associated with such experiences. It also explores the ethical considerations and potential negative impacts of such tourism.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key keywords and focus topics of this text include: polar tourism, climate change, Arctic, Antarctic, cruise tourism, wildlife, last-chance tourism, polar bear viewing, environmental impact, sustainable tourism, ethical considerations.
- Quote paper
- Undine Handorf (Author), 2011, Tourism booms as the Arctic melts. A critical approach of polar tourism, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/337597
