Too Soon For Tourists

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32219, 11 February 1970, Page 12

Too Soon For Tourists

The Civil Aviation Division of the Ministry of Transport is to be commended on the stringent conditions it has laid down for commercial flights to the Antarctic, although these may further delay the projected Air New Zealand tourist flights from Christchurch in the summer of 1971-72. Clearly this country and its national airline should hot make undue demands on the good will of the United States Navy’s Antarctic Support Force and its unfailing readiness to help. The flights have already been delayed a year because the airline recognised the need to provide emergency accommodation at outer Williams Field, the landing strip used in summer, which is 14 miles from the proposed berth for the hotel ship Lindblad Explorer But the risk of stranding travellers on the hostile Ross ice shelf by weather or mechanical faults is not the only hazard to be overcome. Nor is it the only area where this commercial venture might find itself utterly dependent on the United States Navy for assistance.

With characteristic generosity, the Navy helped free the first tourist cruise ship from the ice two years ago. More recently it rescued the lone tourist flyer, Mr Max Conrad. But the Navy commander, Rear-Admiral D. F. Welch, has made it clear that he cannot underwrite indefinitely tourist ventures which lack adequate resources to fend for themselves. The Minister of Tourism (Mr Walker) was right when he’said at the week-end that tourist ventures should be “ fully self-sufficient ” and that scientific work should have priority over tourism. The cost of providing “ self-suffiency ” at present might well be prohibitive: if so, the project must be deferred.

But the prospect of Antarctic tourism need not be abandoned. If the probable returns seem high enough Government assistance could go a long way towards overcoming these problems, and help New Zealand’s Antarctic scientific programme in the process. Objections from scientists that tourism will interfere with their work and spoil what has remained a relatively uncontaminated environment are valid, though they can hardly hope to prevail in the long run. The McMurdo Sound area is probably the most attractive part of the continent, but it is not the only area being considered for tourism. On the other side of Antarctica. Chile and Argentina have shown some interest. It would be foolish indeed for New Zealand, by precipitate action, to alienate the United States, its most useful Antarctic partner.

There is no reason why this country, if it plans carefully, need be left behind. But to insist in the near future on New Zealand’s “ rights ” to fly tourists to “its” Ross Dependency would be to reopen the whole complex question of legal rights and territorial claims in a continent where most of the research and facilities are financed by the United States and Russia, neither of which has asserted any territorial claims or recognises any other country's claims It would be much more sensible to solve the legal Questions first, while facilities for visitors are being developed, so that if the time comes when tourists sponsored bv this country need hein in an emergency it can be given, through clearly defined agreements, in the spirit of international co-nneration <»bich hag characterised all Antarctic scientific expeditions.