The world's polar regions are attracting more interest than ever before. Once regarded as barren, inhospitable places where only explorers go, the north and south polar regions have been transformed into the latest tourism destinations, increasingly visited by cruise ships as well becoming accessible to direct flights. Tourism is seen as one of the few economic opportunities in these regions but at the same time that they are being opened up to tourism development, the polar regions are being affected by a number of new factors that are interconnected to travel and tourism. Climate change, landscape and species loss, increasing interest in energy resources and minerals, social changes in indigenous societies, and a new polar geo-politics in which countries disputing boundaries are laying claim to large amounts of seabed under previously international waters, which brings into question the sustainability of polar regions and the place of tourism within them.This timely volume, is the first attempt to fully explore the relationship between Tourism and climate change in both Arctic and Antarctic polar regions by considering the associated environmental, economic, social and political factors in one volume. It uniquely draws on both Arctic and Antarctic Polar region case studies to help illustrate these climate change issues, critically evaluate varying perspectives on polar tourism and proposes action that could be taken by local and global management to achieve a sustainable future for Polar regions and development of Tourism.This complete and current account of Polar Tourism issues written by an international team of leading researchers in this area will have global appeal to higher level students, researchers, academics in Tourism, Environmental Studies and Arctic/Polar Studies.
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