Herata, HeikeKrakau, Manuela2024-06-162024-06-162013https://doi.org/10.60810/openumwelt-2091https://openumwelt.de/handle/123456789/9156The interrelationship between tourism development and polar environmentsbecame a hot topic in the last decades. Since climatic changes lead toaltered ecosystems including the alteration of species, composition in areas withprevious icy and hostile conditions, especially the use of polar landscapes, cameinto touristic focus. However, the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica has beenan exceptional destination to experience nature and follow the path of adventurerssince its discovery. To fulfill the Protocol on Environmental Protection to theAntarctic Treaty (Environmental Protocol) with the aim to protect the Antarcticarea as well as possible, the procedure of granting a permit for tourism activitiesis well developed in German legislation. For decades, Germans have accountedfor more than 10% of all tourists enjoying the special landscape during a cruiseto Antarctic coasts. This puts them in the top 3 of the world together with Americanand British tourists. Since 2000, the German Federal EnvironmentAgency recordedinformation on German tourist activities in the area of Antarctica from yearly postvisitreports. These data may support discussions on possible steps toward requiredregulations for polar tourism in the near future. Some aspects of land-based tourismon the Antarctic continent, and especially on the Antarctic Peninsula and islandsnearby, are highlighted with regard to the potential consequences within the frameof environmental protection and climate change. Due to the lack of knowledgewhich impedes thoroughly environmental assessments for all touristic activities,the German Federal Environment Agency aims to encourage research and politicalinstitutions to support the development of a concept of sustainable tourism for theAntarctic Treaty area.Quelle: German Tourism Activities in the AntarcticArea: A Governmental Perspective. In: New Issues in Polar Tourism: Communities,Environments, Politics. Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013enghttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/FremdenverkehrÖkosystemAntarktisvertragBundesrepublik DeutschlandTeil eines Buches