IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators)

Industry Trade body governing Antarctic and sub-Antarctic tourism. Reports passenger growth from 27,243 visitors in the 2014-15 season to 118,491 in 2024-25 — over 4× growth in a decade. Vast majority of operators funnel through Ushuaia, Argentina as the primary gateway port.

Existing Biosecurity protocols are one-directional: rigorous Velcro-strip inspections, vacuum cleaning, and rodent guards prevent humans from carrying invasive species INTO Antarctica. There is no equivalent screening for tourists carrying zoonotic pathogens OUT of South American gateway ports into the global travel network. The MV Hondius cluster exposes this regulatory blindspot.