US law firm Holland & Knight has launched a five-part compliance series for Antarctic expedition cruise operators ahead of the 2026-27 season, according to a company statement.
The first alert was issued on 1 October, with four more advisories due weekly through October before the November-to-March Antarctic tourist season.
The series examines overlapping requirements under the Antarctic Treaty System, the International Maritime Organization’s Polar Code, flag-state rules and standards set by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators.
IAATO members carried 113,518 travellers in the 2025-26 season, including 85,195 landed visitors, 27,217 cruise-only passengers and 1,106 deep-field visitors. Landed visits rose 6% year on year, while air-cruise operations to King George Island approached 12,000 passengers.
The Antarctic Treaty has 58 parties, including 29 Consultative Parties with decision-making rights. Activities planned south of 60 degrees south latitude require environmental impact assessments and may also need national authorisation.
The IMO Polar Code has been mandatory since 1 January 2017 and covers ship design, construction, equipment, operations, crew training, search and rescue and pollution prevention. Covered ships must hold a Polar Ship Certificate, with compliance overseen primarily by their flag state.
IAATO rules cap visitors ashore at a site at 100 at any one time and require an actively guiding expedition-staff-to-visitor ratio of at least 1:20. Vessels carrying more than 500 passengers may not make landings, while ships carrying 201 to 500 passengers face additional landing restrictions.
Antarctic Treaty Measure 4, adopted in 2004 to create binding requirements for contingency planning, search and rescue, medical evacuation and insurance for tourism and other non-governmental activities, has still not entered into force because the required national approvals remain incomplete.
The 48th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, from 11 to 21 May 2026 continued work on a comprehensive framework for Antarctic tourism and adopted updated visitor site guidelines.
Holland & Knight is an international law firm with more than 2,200 lawyers in 36 offices worldwide and practices spanning more than 300 areas of law.