HERE TODAY, GONE TOMORROW

A. In addition, it seems that a high number of visitors return to the poles. ‘Looking at six years’ worth of data, of the people who have been to the polar regions, roughly 25 percent go for a second time,’ says Louisa Richardson, a senior marketing executive at tour operator Exodus.

B. Although polar tourism is widely accepted, there have been few regulations up until recently. At the meeting of the Antarctic Treaty in Baltimore, the 28 member nations adopted proposals for limits to tourist numbers. These included safety codes for tourist vessels in Antarctic waters, and improved environmental protection for the continent. They agreed to prevent ships with more than 500 passengers from landing in Antarctica, as well as limit the number of passengers going ashore to a maximum of 100 at any one time, with a minimum of one guide for every 20 tourists. ‘Tourism in Antarctica is not without its risks,’ says Downie. After all, Antarctica doesn’t have a coastguard rescue service.’

C. ‘So far, no surveys confirm that people are going quickly to see polar regions before they change,’ says Frigg Jorgensen, General Secretary of the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO). ‘However, Hillary Clinton and many other big names have been to Svalbard in the northernmost part of Norway to see the effects of climate change. The associated media coverage could influence others to do the same.’

D. These days, rarely a week passes without a negative headline in the newspapers. The suffering polar bear has become a symbol of a warming world, its plight a warning that the clock is ticking. It would seem that this ticking clock is a small but growing factor for some tourists. ‘There’s an element of “do it now”,’ acknowledges Prisca Campbell, Marketing director of Quark Expeditions, which takes 7,000 People to the poles annually. Leaving the trip until later, it seems, may mean leaving it too late.

Look at the following statements and the list of people below.

Match each statement with the correct person, A-D.

NB You may use any letters more than once

List of People

A. Lousia Richardson

B. Rod Downie

C. Frigg Jorgensen

D. Prisca Campbell

8. Some tourists believe they should not delay their trip to the poles. 

9. There are some dangers to traveling in Antarctica.

10. Some famous people have traveled to polar regions to look at the impacts of global warming.

11. Some tourists make more than one trip to the poles.

12. There is no evidence that visitors are hurrying to the poles.