Honors College Theses

Publication Date

1-22-2026

Major

Recreation and Tourism Management (B.S.)

Release Option

Open Access

Faculty Mentor

Dr. John Peden

Abstract

Parties to the Antarctic Treaty have set Antarctica aside for peace, scientific research, and environmental protection. However, they have yet to take concrete actions to protect Antarctica’s wilderness values as agreed under the 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. Meanwhile, pristine areas that are free from human interference are declining as human activity escalates. This study examines perceptions of Antarctic wilderness through the lens of integral ecology. Data from 1,640 people and 16 study populations were extracted from four published studies. Content analysis was conducted to determine how subjective perspectives differ across populations and geographic regions. All study populations indicated higher levels of support for Antarctica as wilderness and a component of the climate system. Most populations also valued Antarctica as a science laboratory. Study populations showed lower levels of support for Antarctica as a tourist destination or mineral reserve. In Europe, support for Antarctica as a wilderness was higher among people with firsthand experience with Antarctica (tourists) than university students and local residents. In the US, support for Antarctica as a mineral reserve was higher among those without firsthand experience than those with firsthand experience. All populations consistently valued Antarctica highly for non-commercial, non-extractive and protective purposes, which is in line with the objectives of the Antarctic Treaty and the Protocol on Environmental Protection. However, tourists’ support for wilderness, climate, and tourism do not align with the environmental impacts of travel to Antarctica.

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