Hantavirus cruise ship part of Antarctic tourism boom that some want better regulated

The MV Hondius cruise ship departs the port in Praia, Cape Verde, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)

BRUSSELS -- Tourism in the Antarctic Peninsula is a niche but booming industry powered by deep-pocketed adventure-seekers traveling thousands of miles to marvel at penguin colonies and take “polar plunges” in sight of icebergs.

But growing numbers of visitors bring risks including disease, invasive species and pollution to the delicate ecosystems of Antarctica and the remote sub-Antarctic islands that teem with bird life, sea lions and whales.

The outbreak of a deadly strain of the hantavirus on a Dutch-flagged cruise ship that sailed from the southern tip of Argentina across the southern Atlantic and up to the Cape Verde islands comes days before 29 nations gather in Japan to discuss tighter guardrails around Antarctic tourism.

The meeting - planned before the virus outbreak on the Hondius - will discuss whether the Antarctic Treaty System governing the vast ice-covered continent requires a more robust framework to regulate tourism.

It already sets out guidelines for medical protocols and insurance cover for tourism operators in the region.

“Definitely, now, after what’s happened, there’ll be a need to update their medical guidelines,” said Amy White, a vice president at VIKAND Solutions, which provides medical services to the maritime industry.

‘No plan’ to cope with tourism growth

As of Thursday, five people were confirmed to have contracted the virus and there were another three suspected cases, the World Health Organization said. Three ‌people have died in the outbreak.

A further suspected case was reported on Friday - a British national on the South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, where the ship stopped in April - another vulnerable, remote territory thousands of miles north of Antarctica.

Billed as an Atlantic odyssey by cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions, passengers paid handsomely for a berth on the 35-night cruise. The company’s website shows a Grande Suite with private balcony costing 16,950 euros (US$19,936.59) for a 12-night cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula later this year. Included in the price is camping, kayaking, snowshoeing and mountaineering.

The number of people visiting Antarctica more than tripled from 37,000 in 2015, to more than 117,000 in 2025, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. More than 80,000 visitors in 2025 were on trips that let them disembark onto land.

Some experts forecast those numbers could quadruple over the next 10 years.

“I think the main gap is that there isn’t a plan for that growth,” said Claire Christian, executive director of the non-profit Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition.

“There needs to be more comprehensive and mandatory regulations.”

Environment under pressure

Antarctic tourism is concentrated on the Antarctic Peninsula coastline, where seals and seabirds congregate - an environment in which invasive species and disease can quickly spread.

Prishani Vengetas, a conservation veterinarian at the World Wildlife Fund, said Antarctic wildlife populations were already under significant pressure, including the impact of climate change, which could compromise their resilience against disease.

“The more that we engage and pressurize that system, the more we will break down the natural safeguards of those populations,” she said.

The Antarctic tourism industry says it follows some of the strictest health and environmental protocols in the sector.

Industry body IAATO develops these rules, which include minimum distance requirements between guests and wildlife, and mandatory disinfection of clothes and kit before and after landings, to avoid carrying invasive species or seeds between sites.

An ongoing outbreak of avian flu in Antarctica prompted IAATO to strengthen its rules further.

“Antarctic tourism operates within a robust, science-informed framework designed to minimize impacts,” IAATO Executive Director Lisa Kelley said in written responses to questions.

Asked by Reuters about its protocols to minimize impacts on fragile ecosystems, Oceanwide Expeditions declined to comment and said it was focused on the medical situation onboard the Hondius.

While the Antarctic Treaty System governing the continent requires cruise companies to secure permits and conduct environmental impact assessments, the rules they follow during voyages are largely set by their own industry.

The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting next week will see whether governments want a bigger role in forming and enforcing regulations.

ASOC’s Claire Christian, who will participate, said options to be discussed would include mandatory entrance fees for Antarctica, like those introduced by Venice and the Galapagos Islands to control visitor numbers. The extra money could help fund conservation.

But she said that the 29 participating nations - among them Russia and the United States - would have to come to a common agreement, and any deal was expected to take years.

(Reporting by Kate Abnett; Additional reporting by Stephanie Van Den Berg and Jennifer Rigby; Editing by Richard Lough and Andrew Heavens)