TY - JOUR
T1 - Regulating Antarctic Tourism
T2 - The Challenge of Consensus-Based Decision-Making
AU - Bastmeijer, Kees
AU - Shibata, Akiho
AU - Steinhage, Imme
AU - Ferrada, Luis Valentin
AU - Bloom, Evan T.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved.
PY - 2023/10
Y1 - 2023/10
N2 - In the 2022-2023 season, more than 104,000 tourists visited Antarctica. This represents an increase of more than 40 percent compared to the 2019-20 pre-pandemic season. The diversity of activities is also constantly growing. This note provides an overview of these developments and discusses the extent to which the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties, that govern Antarctica on the basis of consensus, have responded with regulatory action. The analysis shows that little decision-making has taken place and that no consensus could be reached on many policy questions in relation to growing Antarctic tourism. Failure to ensure timely and adequate international responses to environmental challenges poses not only a risk to the Antarctic environment, but could also constitute a challenge to the legitimacy and stability of the Antarctic Treaty governance system. In this light, options are identified for strengthening Antarctic decision-making regarding Antarctic tourism.
AB - In the 2022-2023 season, more than 104,000 tourists visited Antarctica. This represents an increase of more than 40 percent compared to the 2019-20 pre-pandemic season. The diversity of activities is also constantly growing. This note provides an overview of these developments and discusses the extent to which the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties, that govern Antarctica on the basis of consensus, have responded with regulatory action. The analysis shows that little decision-making has taken place and that no consensus could be reached on many policy questions in relation to growing Antarctic tourism. Failure to ensure timely and adequate international responses to environmental challenges poses not only a risk to the Antarctic environment, but could also constitute a challenge to the legitimacy and stability of the Antarctic Treaty governance system. In this light, options are identified for strengthening Antarctic decision-making regarding Antarctic tourism.
KW - Antarctic tourism
KW - Antarctic Treaty System
KW - consensus
KW - environmental protection
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163857739&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/ajil.2023.34
DO - 10.1017/ajil.2023.34
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85163857739
SN - 0002-9300
VL - 117
SP - 651
EP - 676
JO - American Journal of International Law
JF - American Journal of International Law
IS - 4
ER -