Journal article
Environmental stewardship and wicked problems: identifying meaningful pathways to ambassadorship for Antarctic tourists
Polar journal, Vol.First Online, pp.1-22
26/03/2026
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Abstract
The concept of the 'Antarctic ambassador' has become a central narrative in polar tourism, based on the idea that tourists can play a constructive role in supporting Antarctic conservation. With over 100,000 people visiting Antarctica each year, tourists represent a potentially powerful force in shaping environmental outcomes. However, existing scholarship often treats ambassadorship as a straightforward outcome of attitude change, overlooking the complexity of conservation as a wicked problem - a challenge marked by interwoven social, political, and ecological factors. This study aims to examine how post-trip ambassadorship is conceptualised within Antarctic tourism and to propose a more nuanced, action-oriented framework that accounts for the diversity of tourist interests, capabilities, and contexts. As part of a broader project on Antarctic tourist experiences, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 121 tourists. Analysis revealed six distinct types of Antarctic ambassadors, differentiated by their preferred modes of engagement and areas of influence, and five key conditions necessary for successful ambassadorship. Antarctic conservation is a wicked problem that requires multi-faceted responses. We argue that fostering effective ambassadorship demands a more tailored, systems-based approach. To this end, we propose a multi-level model that maps strategic pathways to action for the six identified ambassador types, offering a foundation for both scholarly advancement and practical intervention within the tourism sector.
Details
- Title
- Environmental stewardship and wicked problems: identifying meaningful pathways to ambassadorship for Antarctic tourists
- Creators
- Katie Marx - University of TasmaniaElizabeth Leane - University of TasmaniaKristy de Salas - University of TasmaniaAnne Hardy - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Polar journal, Vol.First Online, pp.1-22
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Number of pages
- 22
- Grant note
- This research was supported by the Australian Government and Intrepid Travel through the Australian Research Council’s Linkage Projects funding scheme (project LP190101116).
- Identifiers
- 991013372749302368
- Copyright
- © 2026 The Author(s).
- Academic Unit
- Office of the PVC (Academic Innovation)
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article