Tourists cruise the western Antarctic peninsula on March 06, 2016. The Antarctic tourism industry is generally considered to have begun in the late 1950s when Chile and Argentina took more than 500 fare-paying passengers to the South Shetland Islands aboard a naval transportation ship. The concept of 'expedition cruising,' coupled with education as a major theme, began when Lars-Eric Lindblad led the first traveler's expedition to Antarctica in 1966. Prior to this, human activity in Antarctica was limited to the early explorers, those seeking fortune in the exploitation of seals and whales, and more recently to scientific research and exploration. Antarctica's physical isolation, extreme climate and remarkable wilderness values are a great part of its attraction for tourism. AFP PHOTO/EITAN ABRAMOVICH / AFP / EITAN ABRAMOVICH (Photo credit should read EITAN ABRAMOVICH/AFP/Getty Images)
Getty Images

AFP EITAN ABRAMOVICH