Desarrollo de la Antártica

EL DESARROLLO DE LA ANTÁRTICA ANTARCTIC TOURlSME One sometímes hears reference to the potential that Antarctica mig.ht possess as a tourist resort. 1 believe there are real possibilities in this direction, but only within very circumscribed limits at presento In the early stages any suoh resort would he a rích man's playground. Fífty years ago the person with wealth and opportunity made tibe Grand Tour of iEmope and gained distinction in the eyes of his less fortunate neighbours. Today, when any young man or woman can pay a few pounds and Ihitoh hike around Europe, when traiVel has become lhe perquisite of the common man, it is becoming more and more difficult for the wealthy snob to find some exclusive activity with which to impress his fríends. It is to suoh people that one must appeal in launching the early tourist tríps to Antarctica. First, an air route to the resort must be established, for most tourists of the type. I have in mind would not put up with the voyage by ship through the stormy Southern Ocean. Secondly, an extremely comfortable, if not actually palatíal, hotel would be needed amidst surroundíngs oI great natural beauty and interest. Thirdly, the resort would need to be within easy reach oí a number of spots of local interest where tourists couId photograph gIaciers, mountains, ,penguin rookeries, basking seals, and so on. Fourthly, the resort would need to Ihave a reasonably sunny summer clima te. 1 feel sure t'hat if such a trip were advertised as sufficiently exclusive, ons wouId experience no great difficulty in attracting a number of patrons at a cost of about 3,000 dollars each for a three weeks' stay in Antarctica. At present tlbere appear to be only two regions which of– .fer possibilities: one is of comse the Ross Sea area, with its great historie interest and the standing reIics of expeditions by Scon, Shackleton and Byrd as well as t:he modern stations oí IMciM'urdo and Scott; the other area is the Antarctic Peninsula to whicn a number of expeditions far tourists ihave already been organized. One limiting factor in this tourist ·business is the cost of establis– hing a>nd maintaining a tourist resort at sudh a remote locality tar sUdh a 8hort summer season. This might be made simpler if a Iuxury líner were moored for, say, six weeks at a suitable spot to act as the hotel for a period of three or four successive tours, the tourists being delivered by airo This would salve the problems of comfart, cuisine, water and power suppIy without tihe great capital outlay involved in building and maintaíning a Iarge hotel. A recent innovatíon that offers prospects for future development