Providence, RI. - The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) yesterday announced the appointment of South African environmentalist Claudia “Clouds” Holgate to the part-time position of Environmental Operations Assistant.
Antarctic tourists and scientists may be inadvertently seeding the icy continent with invasive species, a new study says. Foreign plants such as annual bluegrass are establishing themselves on Antarctica, whose status as the coldest and driest continent had long made it one of the most pristine environments on Earth.
In an effort to assist travel agents and tour operators with Antarctica travel planning for their Japanese clients and foreign residents of Japan, the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) is making new information available from the Japanese Ministry of the Environment.
Following a good response to its public awareness campaign focusing on yacht operators, the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) has continued its efforts during the current 2011-12 season to educate those bound for Antarctica aboard sailing or motor vessels.
Five ships will make their inaugural visits to the Falklands during the coming cruise ship season, reports the Penguin News.The luxurious Seabourn Sojourn (450 passenger capacity) will be among these, along with Island Sky (118 pax) mega yacht L’Austral (264 pax) MS Artania (1200 pax) and Adonia (710 pax).
With the formal end of the tourism season in the Antarctic, the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) has released its final numbers for 2010-11. The total number of visitors to the region traveling with IAATO member-operators was 33,824.
The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators, (IAATO) in a statement released Thursday called the incident of the Norwegian yacht Berserk that went missing in Antarctic waters last week ‘tragic’ but also underlines the vessel did not have proper authorization or permits for their expedition and fully supports Norwegian prosecuting authorities for their investigation into the case.
Passengers from the MV Polar Star, which suffered a minor incident while cruising along the Antarctica peninsula, were expected to arrive in Ushuaia, Argentina, on Sunday, February 6, 2011.
Polar Star Expeditions reported that following an underwater inspection of the MV Polar Star’s outer hull, it has decided to disembark the ship’s 80 passengers at King George Island in the South Shetland Islands as a precautionary measure before crossing the Drake Passage and returning to Ushuaia, Argentina.