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The future is uncertain for Antarctica, with many possibilities – some more plausible, others more preferable. Indeed, the region and its governance regime may be reaching (or may have reached) a crossroads moment as a result of a series of challenges, including the changing Antarctic climate and environment, increasing human activity, shifting val...
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... Last Chance Tourism is defined as a niche form of tourism where "tourists explicitly seek vanishing landscapes or seascapes, and/or disappearing natural and/or social heritage" [1]. LCT destinations span the globe and range from the tropical Great Barrier Reef and African rainforests to the icy worlds of Antarctica and the Arctic [2][3][4][5]. The Arctic is a major frontier for LCT, with the term initially gaining significance as a form of tourism that was borne out of the interest of cold places [6,7]; therefore, climate change effects played a major part in defining LCT destinations from the outset [7]. ...
Last Chance Tourism (LCT) is an increasingly popular phenomenon whereby tourists seek encounters with vanishing landscapes, cultures, and endangered species. However, there are concerns that it is not sufficiently ecologically informed, has a large carbon footprint, and may put further pressure on vulnerable ecosystems and communities. This review specifically focuses on the Arctic, which is a major global frontier for LCT and is at the forefront of disruptive and accelerating climate change. It draws on theoretical insights from the Ecological Grief concept to chart a new research focus as well as a pathway to share empathy, concern, and sorrow between scientists, communities, and visitors. Key literature sources on LCT and Ecological Grief were selected from major international scientific journals and monographs. The major findings of the study are (i) the Arctic cryosphere is a life-sustaining entity and disruptive changes in its mechanisms currently threaten the unique ecologies and culture of the region and (ii) LCT must be attentive to the emotive accounts of loss and grief associated with cryospheric change and emplace both human and non-human voices in the narrative. These findings are relevant for LCT researchers, tourism planners, and conscious travelers in the Arctic who prioritize destination sustainability.
... Last Chance Tourism is defined as a niche form of tourism where "tourists explicitly seek vanishing landscapes or seascapes, and/or disappearing natural and/or social heritage" [1]. LCT destinations span the globe and range from the tropical Great Barrier Reef and African rainforests to the icy worlds of Antarctica and the Arctic [2][3][4][5]. The Arctic is a major frontier for LCT, with the term initially gaining significance as a form of tourism that was borne out of the interest of cold places [6,7], and therefore climate change effects played a major part in defining LCT destinations from the outset [7]. ...
... LCT destinations are also lived places, and environmental change is felt in a fundamentally different manner by these communities and also implies fundamental changes to their lifeworlds. 4 ...
Last Chance Tourism (LCT) is an increasingly popular phenomenon whereby tourists seek encounters with vanishing landscapes, cultures, and endangered species. However, there are concerns that it is not sufficiently ecologically informed, has a large carbon footprint, and may put further pressure on vulnerable ecosystems and communities. The Arctic has emerged as a major global frontier for LCT, and at the same time is at the forefront of disruptive and accelerating climate change. Here a review of important LCT literature is combined with a review of key insights from the concept of Ecological Grief, which calls for explicitly mourning the losses of formerly ecologically rich landscapes, species diversity, and traditional knowledge. While there is currently insufficient engagement with grief and mourning in LCT, Ecological Grief can provide a new research focus as well as a pathway to share empathy, concern, and sorrow between scientists, communities, and visitors—thereby offering an alternative way to critically reflect upon our connections with the vanishing cryosphere in the Anthropocene.
... Las nuevas miradas sobre el turismo antártico permiten distinguir también otra motivación para el turista: el turismo de última oportunidad (Lamers, Eijgelaar y Amelung, 2011;Dawson et al., 2015), donde la demanda busca aquello singular, pero en riesgo de desaparecer. Sumado a esto, se observa la emergencia de un turismo que se legitima a través de su cooperación con la ciencia y del desarrollo de actividades científicas. ...
Este artículo presenta una serie de reflexiones que tuvieron lugar en el panel “Nuevas tendencias, nuevas preocupaciones en turismo”, de las Jornadas de Análisis Crítico, realizadas en el Instituto de Investigaciones en Turismo de la Facultad de Ciencias Económicas de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata los días 11 y 12 de octubre de 2022. Se recuperan distintas exposiciones de referentes académicos respecto de un amplio espectro de temas tales como turismo ovni extraterrestre, turismo no estructurado del Mercosur en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, turismo y memoria, turismo accesible y turismo antártico. Las palabras finales del moderador del panel constituyen un aporte significativo puesto que reflexionan sobre preocupaciones transversales a todas las exposiciones. Desde este escrito se pretende avanzar en el análisis de un turismo cambiante que, demostrando su multidimensionalidad y dinamismo, interpela a los actores y abre distintos interrogantes para repensar tanto las prácticas turísticas como las prácticas de investigación.
... The tourism literature coined the term 'last-chance tourism' in 2008 (D'Souza et al., 2021), with tourists experiencing endangered places before they disappear or are irrevocably transformed (Lemelin et al., 2010). For instance, Lamers et al. (2013) observed that tourism to Antarctica increased significantly from some thousands in 1990 to over 45,000 in 2008. Recent studies (Kucukergin and Gürlek, 2020) mostly agree that last-chance tourism is an important motivation for travel. ...
The literature shows that natural disasters adversely affect international (arrivals) tourism. However, there seems to have been a lack of consideration of the dynamics of domestic and outbound (departure) tourism consumption in respect of natural hazards. To address this gap, this study uses a unique dataset of exposure to natural hazards and coping capacities for a global sample of 145 economies from 2011 to 2019 to examine the influence on domestic, outbound and total tourism spending. Exposure appears to have inverted U-shaped relationships with domestic and total tourism spending, and a U-shaped relationship with outbound spending. Coping capacities, in contrast, have U-shaped relationships with domestic and total tourism spending, with an inverted U-shaped relationship with outbound spending. Lastly, the analyses for four income groups and seven regions show some heteroscedasticity. The findings suggest that governments should build coping capacities for the recovery of tourism after disaster events.
JEL codes: Z32, Z38, Q01, Q54
... Over the last decade, the issue of last chance tourism (LCT) has received considerable attention from both industrial practitioners and academicians, and there are reports in literature claiming that the majority of researches dealing with the topic of LCT are related predominantly to protected areas (see Kaján, 2014aKaján, , 2014bLemieux et al., 2018), including those highlighting the sustainability of the Arctic (Maher, 2017;Runge et al., 2020), cruise tourism (James et al., 2020;Lamers et al., 2013) and National Parks (Groulx et al., 2017). Even though the growing body of research contains many studies examining LCT from several distinct perspectives, literature dealing with the aspects of LCT related to the heritage perspective, perception of authenticity, memorable experiences and satisfaction are few and far between. ...
The present study investigates the motivations and experiences of tourists visiting Hasankeyf – a historic district in the Batman province, situated in the southeast region of Turkey – as a last chance tourism (LCT) destination that has recently been submerged with the entry into operation of Ilısu Dam. A mixed-methods approach is employed for the study, in which quantitative data was collected via a survey filled out by visitors (n = 429) to the Hasankeyf heritage site, while qualitative data was obtained from the online reviews left by visitors (n = 78). The findings reveal that motivations to visit the site relate mostly to the ‘heritage’ and ‘last chance’ dimensions of the site. The study results reveal further that the motivation and the perception of authenticity are key indicators of a memorable tourism experience. Further implications are offered, along with recommendations for future research.
... Rather than focusing on the ecological or ethical issues associated with LCT, the media channels listed above tend to glamorize the demise of disappearing locations, ecosystems, and animal species, encouraging viewers to see destinations before they are gone or to visit before a destination becomes too crowded (Burns & Bibbings, 2009;Lamers et al., 2012;Lemelin et al., 2012). Individual tourists perceive these messages and the effects of climate change on LCT destinations differently (Johnston et al., 2012;Scott et al., 2012;Stewart et al., 2012). ...
For over 50 years, Churchill, Manitoba has provided visitors an opportunity to see polar bears in their natural environment. Over the same time period, an increase in temperatures and related reductions in sea ice has negatively impacted the health of polar bears in the Western Hudson Bay. In 2008, the term ‘last chance tourism’ was coined, linking the demand to travel to the North with a desire to see these animals ‘before they are gone’. This creates a paradox as tourists require energy-intensive modes of transportation to reach the Arctic, thereby contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. This paper compares the polar bear viewing industry’s total greenhouse gas contribution and tourists’ knowledge about climate change with results from a 2008 study and discusses any changes over the last ten years. During the 2018 polar bear viewing season, greenhouse gas emissions were estimated to be 23,017 t/CO2, an increase from 2008. The results also indicated that although most tourists believe climate change is happening, fewer associate air travel to this — a similar finding identified ten years ago. Findings from this research show that consumption patterns have not changed despite a growing awareness of climate change and its impacts.
... Antarctica Tour Operators, IAATO), who may be prepared to promote Antarctic conservation messages in their home nations (Eijgelaar et al., 2010;Lamers et al., 2011). ...
The Southern Ocean supports ecosystem services that are important on a global scale. Climate change and human activities (tourism, fishing, and research) will affect both the demand for, and the provision of, these services into the future. Here we synthesize recent assessments of the current status and expected future climate-driven changes in Southern Ocean ecosystems and evaluate the potential consequences of these changes for the provision of ecosystem services. We explore in detail three key services (the 'blue carbon' pathway, the Antarctic krill fishery, and Antarctic tourism), tracing the consequences of climate change from physical drivers through biological impacts to the benefits to humans. We consider potential non-climatic drivers of change, current and future demands for the services, and the main global and regional policy frameworks that could be used to manage risks to the provision of these services in a changing climate. We also develop a formal representation of the network of interactions between the suite of potential drivers and the suite of services, providing a framework to capture the complexity of this network and its embedded feedback loops. Increased consideration of the linkages and feedbacks between drivers and ecosystem services will be required to underpin robust management responses into the future.
... focus on LCT in relation to climate change in their study through polar bear watching. Most contemporary studies on LCT have concentrated on Arctic regions (Dawson et al., 2010a;Eijgelaar et al., 2010;Frew, 2008;Johnston, Viken, & Dawson, 2012;Lamers, Eijgelaar, & Amelung, 2012;Lemelin et al., 2010;Maher, Johnston, Dawson, & Noakes, 2010;Vila, Costa, Angulo-Preckler, Sarda, & Avila, 2016). As Arctic tourism is bound mostly to environmental characteristics and is aff ected by irrevocable climatic conditions , these regions are the focus points in LCT studies. ...
Being always a popular issue despite being called differently on media, last chance tourism (LCT) has become a significant matter in tourism literature in recent years due to the increase in global warming and world population. Even though LCT has emerged in relation to visit demands to destinations under the threat of disappearance in Arctic regions, the concept is now not only used for destinations disappearing due to environmental changes but also for places disappearing due to anthropogenic reasons. The most important aspects of this concept are its relation with other tourism types and the paradox that it creates because of its impacts on the environment. These two aspects of this concept are still discussed in tourism literature. With regard to this discussion, the purpose of this study is to examine LCT and its paradox in the literature in detail; to discuss the term with regard to Turkey and to determine possible last chance destinations in Turkey with an emphasis on Hasankeyf (Batman). For this aim, a detailed literature review and an online search with keywords such as “places under threat” were conducted. As a result of this study, it is revealed that there are many LCT destinations in Turkey which have been dragged into being a LCT destination as a result of misgovernment and Hasankeyf (Batman) has been already recognized as a LCT destination by the tourists and therefore can be evaluated within LCT literature in future research in a more detailed and empirical way
... The majority of current studies examining the LCT phenomenon focus on the polar regions Dawson et al., 2011;Eijgelaar et al., 2010;Frew, 2008;Johnston, Viken, & Dawson, 2012;Lamers, Eijgelaar, & Amelung, 2012;Lemelin et al., 2010;Maher, Johnston, Dawson, & Noakes, 2010;Vila, Costa, Angulo-Preckler, Sarda, & Avila, 2016). Given that polar tourism relies so heavily on its environmental attributes and is significantly affected by a changing climate to a potential point of irreversibility , it is a good case study for LCT and thus has been the initial and dominant focus of LCT studies. ...
The publically documented decline in health of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) has led to its labelling, in media and academic literature, as a last chance tourism destination. That is, a place tourists travel to experience before it is gone. While the GBR has been labelled as such, no empirical evidence has identified that this is actually occurring. This article explores if tourists are motivated to visit the GBR to see it before it's gone, and examines the level of concern tourists have about the range of issues that are threatening the GBR. Drawing on 235 questionnaires with on-site tourists, the results indicate that tourists are seeking travel to the GBR in a bid to see the reef before it's too late. These tourists – identified as “seeking a last chance experience” – were also found to be more environmentally conscious, and have a higher level of concern about the overall health of the GBR. In terms of threats to the GBR, respondents indicated that they were mainly concerned about coral bleaching/disease and climate change, with tourism only considered as a moderate to low concern. The implications of this are discussed.
... Apart from passing references to diminishing ice caps, reduced opportunities to participate in alpine and Nordic skiing (e.g. Steiger, 2012) and a general 'rush' to the polar regions to witness them before they change forever Lamers, Eijgelaar, & Amelung, 2012), researchers are yet to explicitly focus on 'last-chance' tourism experiences in alpine glacier environments within a protected area management context. Given that glacial recession, both at Franz Josef and Fox Glacier, has been increasingly rapid in recent years we investigate visitor experiences of, and stakeholder perspectives on tourism, through an empirical assessment of climate-related change at the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers in Westland Tai Poutini National Park. ...
For more than 100 years, the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers in Westland Tai Poutini National Park have attracted thousands of tourists annually and have emerged as iconic destinations in New Zealand. However, in recent years, the recession of both glaciers has been increasingly rapid and the impacts on, and implications for, visitor experiences in these settings remain relatively unexplored. A mixed-method approach was adopted to investigate visitor experiences and stakeholder perspectives through an assessment of climate-related changes on tourism at the glaciers in Westland Tai Poutini National Park. The bio-physical conditions at both the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers were reviewed in order to assess the magnitude and rate of retreat. Perceptions of climate change risk and awareness of impacts in the National Park were assessed through stakeholder interviews (n = 13) and a visitor survey (n = 500) was used to better understand how impacts at these sites have affected and may continue to affect visitor experiences. Research results were reported to local communities via a series of public talks. Results revealed the fundamental importance of viewing the glaciers as a significant travel motive of visitors, suggesting that there is a ‘last chance’ dimension to their experience. Furthermore, the results demonstrate a high adaptive capacity of local tourism operators under rapidly changing environmental conditions. The implications of altered visitor experiences for tourism operators and protected area managers are discussed in light of these findings.
