Sounds and silence in the Antarctic tourist experience

Antarctica has long been described through references to sound or its absence – visitors and non-visitors alike commonly term it the ‘silent continent’. However, in the authors’ experience of over 30 journeys to the continent, this generalisation does not reflect the nature of the Antarctic experience, especially for tourists. This article investigates the soundscapes of Antarctica from the perspectives of tourists, contextualised within a discussion of existing research in tourism studies and soundscape studies. Over two summer seasons, our team undertook observations and conducted interviews with 121 guests and 26 staff aboard four tourist voyages, asking questions about their perceptions of Antarctica, including their (multi)sensory experiences. The data gleaned from this field work have informed an examination of the role of soundscapes in the Antarctic tourism experience, including how sounds and silence are typically perceived by tourists, and how the Antarctic soundscape is mediated by guides and managed by operators and policy-makers. The data have also shaped the development of a framework for conceptualising Antarctic tourists’ soundscape experiences. It is anticipated that the findings will be useful for stakeholders in the Antarctic sector and will extend knowledge in tourism studies and soundscape studies, in and beyond the southern polar region.