Cruise tourism in Antarctica: condition and current trends

Antarctic tourism development is associated with the growing attention to nonmass destinations, and understanding tourism as a mechanism for destination sustainable development. Significant part of Russia’s territory lies beyond the Arctic Circle, thus successful cases of the polar tourism are very important in Russian polar destinations development. The article is devoted to the issues of understanding the condition and current trends in Antarctic cruise tourism. Analysis of the scientific opinion on polar and cruise tourism in Antarctica allows to identify the key issues that attract the attention of scientists. The author characterizes the main factors influencing the tourism development and studies their influence on the possibility of forming the competitive advantages of operators in Antarctica. The geopolitical position of the region and its influence on the tourism development are described in detail. The work examines in detail the current state of Antarctic cruise tourism: the dynamics of the growth of tourist flow, the number of trips, cruise ships, attractions visited. The author compiles a rating of the most visited sites in Antarctica and characterizes each of them. The studying the market of proposals allowed to characterize the tourist routes of Antarctic cruises and assort them into 12 groups based on directions and attractions included. This study demonstrates the trend of active integration of Antarctica into the world tourism space today, an increasing number of non-Antarctic objects are involved in Antarctic tourism. The author investigates the main motives of travelers, characterizes the forms of tourist activity, and reveals the techniques of the experience economy in cruise trips in Antarctica. This article allows us to conclude that an important trend in Antarctic cruise tourism today is the expansion of activities, as well as experience economy tools, an increase in the range of tourist motives and needs.