The 2016-2017 Antarctic tourism season will officially kick off in November. According to a forecast by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), a total of 43,885 people from around the world are expected to visit Antarctica during this four-month cross-year travel season, marking a 14% increase compared to the previous season. In the last season (2015-2016), the number of Chinese visitors surpassed 4,000, accounting for 10.6% of the global annual Antarctic tourism total, ranking third after the United States and Australia, making China the third-largest source of Antarctic tourists.
Flying to the Emperor Penguins’ Territory
Antarctica is also an ecologically fragile place where anything not native to the region—including human waste—must be taken out. White Desert offers only four expeditions globally each year, with a maximum of 12 guests per trip. These fortunate travelers will depart from Cape Town, South Africa, aboard a large Ilyushin Il-76 military transport aircraft, landing on the inland ice runway in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. They will then head to the White Desert’s WHICHAWAY Camp, situated on a landscape that resembles the surface of the moon. Though this five-star camp may not be the most luxurious hotel in the world, it is undoubtedly one of the most exclusive travel experiences in the most extreme location on Earth. Based at this comfortable base camp, visitors will embark on a series of inland Antarctic explorations, including riding powerful snow vehicles to ascend the Antarctic ice sheet and witness the vast “white desert,” entering azure ice caves to experience the pure and magical world of ice and snow, and participating in outdoor activities such as skiing, kite skiing, ice climbing, rock climbing, and hiking.
Of course, the most important goal remains achieving our ultimate travel dream: flying to the Emperor Penguins’ territory aboard a specialized polar transport aircraft under the guidance of expert polar guides, coming face-to-face with the world’s largest and rarely seen penguins, traveling to the South Pole at 90° south, visiting the U.S. Amundsen-Scott Research Station, and reaching the end of the world—the South Pole.