The growth of Chinese tourism to Antarctica: a profile of their connectedness to nature, motivations, and perceptions

Abstract

Antarctica emerged as a tourism destination only some 50 years ago, the annual number of visitors has increased and the nationalities of visitors have shifted over the years with an increasing number of visitors from the People’s Republic of China. However, there is a lack of empirical studies on Chinese visitors’ motivations and perceptions of their Antarctic visits. This study reports on a preliminary investigation of the reasons why Chinese visit Antarctica, their post-visiting perceptions of the region and their potential anthropogenic impacts on the Antarctic environment. The study is based on data collected from 120 passengers who travelled on two Antarctic voyages on fully Chinese chartered cruises during the 2017/18 Antarctic season. The results show that curiosity about Antarctica is the major motivation for tourists from China to visit Antarctica. The majority of respondents indicated a sense of commitment to the protection of Antarctica after their Antarctic visit but because citizens of mainland China may have a different understanding of environmental protection. The close supervision and guiding during their shore visits are recommended.

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