TPO - The 250 passengers on board at that time, instead of crowding into lifeboats like in the movie Titanic, went to the balcony and leaned over the deck to see what was happening. Then, they leisurely went down the stairs and started to leave the ship to walk on the ice. The reason was because the collision was not an accident, it was a planned experience during the Antarctic tour .
Tourism boom to Antarctica
Recently, a cruise ship crashed into an iceberg in Hanusse Bay, Antarctica. The ship immediately plunged forward, causing the ice beneath its bow to shatter, and then sank deep into the bone-chilling water.
The 250 passengers on board at that time, instead of crowding into lifeboats like in the movie Titanic , went out to the balcony and leaned over the deck to see what was happening.
They then leisurely walked down the stairs and began to leave the ship to walk on the ice because the collision was not an accident, but a planned experience during a trip to Antarctica.
Tourists enjoy their time traveling in Antarctica. Photo: Jason Evans.
According to CNN , the wave of tourism to Antarctica started long before the post-COVID-19 tourism boom.
The idea of traveling to Antarctica dates back to the 1950s, but these trips are quite exclusive, super expensive and mainly for Americans, Australians, Germans and British. The cost of a trip to Antarctica is at least £10,000 (about 12,700 USD, equivalent to more than 320 million VND), and can even be up to 100,000 USD (more than 2.5 billion VND). Therefore, this place is a destination for high-end tourists and the wealthy.
Tourists flock to Antarctica despite super expensive tours. Photo: Andrew Peacock.
Previously, only about 7,000 people visited Antarctica each year, according to the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO).
But the numbers have exploded in the past half-decade. In winter 2017, nearly 44,000 tourists visited Antarctica. This year, that number has surpassed 122,000.
National Geographic predicts that by 2025, thanks to the opening of an international airport in the capital Nuuk, Greenland, and increased flights to North America, the number of tourists to Antarctica will increase even more.
Tourism is causing Antarctica's ice to melt faster
Experts warn that a surge in tourism to Antarctica will have a serious impact on the environment on the uninhabited continent.
A 2022 study published in the journal Nature found that snow in Antarctica is melting faster, due to tourists visiting the continent.
Plants are thriving on Green Island in Antarctica after ice melted due to rising global temperatures. Photo: Dan Charman.
Black soot emitted from cruise ship chimneys settles on the ice and attracts sunlight, causing tons of snow to melt prematurely. Ecologists also say the growing human presence in Antarctica is causing carbon dioxide levels to spike on the icy continent.
According to CNN , many cruise ship operators say they are acutely aware of the impact their tours have on the environment. Therefore, passengers are given detailed instructions about not bringing any outside food, or other pollutants, when landing in Antarctica.
Ecologists say the growing human presence in Antarctica is causing carbon dioxide levels to spike on the frigid continent. Photo: Jason Evans.
Countries that exploit tourism and research in Antarctica have also signed the Antarctic Treaty, which commits them to not building permanent structures in the region for tourism purposes. This means that there are no hotels in Antarctica for tourists to stay in.
IAATO has also recently started tracking the fuel consumption of cruise ships in the Antarctic region, and some operators are now using electric propulsion systems where possible, to cut CO2, soot and emissions into the environment...
Vietnam currently has many travel agencies organizing tours to Antarctica with duration from 13-20 days/tour, prices ranging from 450-700 million VND/person.
According to CNN, The Guardian
Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/tau-dam-vao-bang-nhung-250-nguoi-khong-thao-chay-ma-binh-than-dung-xem-172241105070101475.htm
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