A Sinking in Antarctica. The Hysteria Begins

Photo credit: TV3

As you probably know, the Explorer sank off the coast of Antarctica recently.

The big news, the really important news, is that no one died. All aboard were evacuated safely in what seems to have been an orderly and professional manner.

That hasn't stopped the hand wringing about tourism in Antarctica. Expect more of this in the near term.

I certainly don't want to minimize the damage that a sunken vessel filled with diesel might cause to the ecosystem, but if this is the first sinking in some 40 years of sharing the wonders of earth's last true frontier with those willing and able to pay the fare, then it seems to me the cost/benefit ratio here has been amply demonstrated.

And danger isn't unique to Antarctica. A cruise ship sank just this year in the placid waters of Santorini. Is anyone talking about "misgivings" on Aegean tourism?

As home-based travel agents, I think we should be aware of a number of things:

** Demand for the Antarctic will decline in the short term. Then, inevitably, it will rise again.
** Because of that, expect to see more "special offers" from operators to the region.
** Which in turn will open up new selling opportunities for you to reach out to your more adventurous clients, perhaps those who have balked at Antarctica because of cost.
** Choose suppliers wisely. The Explorer was a nearly 40-year old ship operated by an "off-brand" Canadian operator.
** Make sure the supplier has done everything humanly possible to assure safety and sell that safety to your clients.
** And just in case, sell travel insurance. Medevac insurance might have come in handy to some of the evacuees, although I gather that injuries were minor. "Stress" was the big complaint. Heck, I can get that at home!

I think it's also fair to say that, once the "stress" fades away, the passengers on the ill-fated Explorer's last voyage will look back on the experience as one of the most exciting of their years of travel and will bask in the spotlight they will be accorded when they recount their tale at cocktail parties for years to come. In fact, I sorta wish I'd been aboard.