ProAct Antarctic Tourism Symposium

On 20-21 June 2024, the ProAct Antarctic Tourism Symposium took place at Utrecht University. The Symposium was organized by the ProAct project (Proactive Management of Antarctic Tourism: Exploring the Role of Principles and Values of the Antarctic Treaty System and Best Practices Beyond the Antarctic Treaty System), which is led by a consortium of researchers from the University of Groningen, Utrecht University and Wageningen University & Research.

The two-day event was structured around the four Work Packages (WPs) of ProAct: WP1: Antarctic tourism growth; WP2: Antarctic tourism diversification; WP3: Jurisdiction: Ensuring adequate implementation of Antarctic tourism regulation; and WP4: The concept of non-use and the role of non-user States in regulating Antarctic tourism. The different sessions consisted of presentations, exercises, plenary discussions and reflections by stakeholders.

Participation in the Symposium was based on invitation and comprised representatives from various stakeholders: government, Antarctic tourism industry, civil society and academia.