AGUNSA participated in the meeting of the International Association of Tourism Operators in Antarctica 2019

Between Tuesday, April 30th and Friday, May 3rd, the annual meeting of the International Association of Antarctic Tourism Operators (IAATO) at Westin, Cape Town, South Africa.

This organization was founded in 1991 to defend and promote the practice of safe and environmentally friendly trips by the private sector to Antarctica.

Each year, the members of IAATO reserve competitive interests in order to discuss them freely and sincerely over the management of visitors to Antarctica, driven by the compromise of the organization with the security and protection of the environment.

In AGUNSA’s representation, our central operator Mr. Gonzalo de la Sotta and representative from our office in Punta Arenas, Ms. Macarana Henriques attended, apart from participating in meetings, were able to meet with our Antarctic customers who also took part in this convention; amongst them were Salen Ship Management, Aurora Expeditions, Lindblad Expeditions, Hanse Expeditions, Noble Caledonia and Scenic Cruises.

It is worth noting that the expectations for Antarctic tourism will be a sharp increase. For the 2020 season, it is estimated that there will be a 42% increase, with a total of 41 vessels operating with approximately 81,500 passengers to be transported.

The meeting finished with a vote on new politics over the best practices that the IAATO will promote for environmentally friendly trips to Antarctica.