Antarctica is attracting more Chinese travellers than ever, as tourism grows and new regulations aim to protect the continent’s unique environment.
Antarctica is gradually shedding its image as a destination only for elite explorers. It is becoming more accessible to regular travellers. In the 2024–2025 Antarctic season, over 10,000 Chinese visitors travelled to the continent for the first time. This set a new record and made China the second-largest source of Antarctic tourists. Against this backdrop, China submitted a draft Antarctic Activities and Environmental Protection Law to Beijing’s legislature on Dec. 22nd 2025. The law aims to regulate Chinese activities in Antarctic research, tourism, and shipping.
Draft Antarctic Law Enters Legislative Review
On Dec.22nd 2025, China’s top legislature began reviewing a draft law that would extend regulation of Antarctic activities beyond scientific research to include tourism and shipping, as Chinese involvement on the continent continues to grow.
The proposed legislation would require organisers to obtain official approval before operating in Antarctica, with applications expected to include basic activity plans, environmental assessments and emergency arrangements. The aim, according to Chinese officials, is to align domestic oversight with existing international rules under the Antarctic Treaty.
Environmental protection sits at the centre of the draft, which sets out requirements on wildlife protection, waste management and pollution control, and introduces penalties for unauthorised operations or environmental violations.
Antarctica Is No Longer Just for Explorers
The legislation comes at a time when Antarctic tourism is expanding rapidly. Once seen as remote and unattainable, the frozen continent is now drawing a growing number of Chinese travellers.
Commercial Antarctic tourism dates back to the mid-20th century, when naval vessels began carrying paying passengers while supplying research stations. By the mid-1990s, annual visitor numbers had reached several thousand. Antarctic tourism has expanded in recent decades and now attracts more than 100,000 visitors a year.
In the 2023–2024 season, over 120,000 people travelled to Antarctica, most during the Southern Hemisphere summer around Christmas. The United States remains the largest source market, ahead of Australia, the United Kingdom and Germany.
China’s growth has been particularly pronounced. During the 2024–2025 season, Chinese visitor numbers exceeded 10,000 for the first time, making China the second-largest source of Antarctic tourists worldwide.
Wealth and Time Shape China’s Antarctic Tourism Boom
The market remains dominated by expensive, organised expeditions, with prices often well above RMB 100,000. In 2023, China National Geographic launched an Antarctic scientific expedition programme, with trips starting at RMB 99,800. They sold out almost immediately. By 2025, prices for the same programme had risen to between RMB 104,800 and 172,800, and demand remains strong.
The core customer base consists largely of affluent, time-rich, retired travellers. According to a report by Ctrip, around 2018, travellers aged 50 to 70 made up the majority of Chinese Antarctic tourists, accounting for 47 per cent.
Overall prices have remained largely unchanged compared with seven years ago, but in recent years, social media posts highlighting trips for around RMB 50,000 or last-minute cruise deals for RMB 30,000 have drawn the attention of younger travellers.
Industry sources indicate that more middle-aged and younger travellers tried polar trips in 2024. Some operators report that under-40s now make up as much as 30 per cent of certain group tours.
For much of the industry’s history, Antarctic tourism was dominated by European and North American operators. In recent years, Chinese firms have increasingly entered the market, chartering vessels or purchasing cabin allocations on ships departing from Chinese ports. The number of active Antarctic tourism suppliers on major travel platforms has risen sharply.
Backlash Over Antarctic Trip by a Chinese Millionaire
One of the most high-profile stories in China in 2025 involved Yu Minhong, founder of education company New Oriental, and his trip to Antarctica. Reports say the controversy began on Nov.16th 2025, New Oriental’s 32nd anniversary, when Yu sent an open letter to employees from Antarctica.
Although intended as a motivational message, the letter was criticised for repeatedly mentioning himself and his Antarctic trip while making little reference to employees’ current work pressures. It was noted that the letter mentioned ‘I’ seventeen times and ‘Antarctica’ five times. An online response read: ‘You watch icebergs in Antarctica; I watch numbers in a rented room.’ Some employees described the message as ‘empty inspiration’, saying they could not relate to a boss on holiday in Antarctica.
As the debate intensified, Yu denied claims on Nov.20th that his cruise had cost RMB 1.48 million, stating that his expenses were between RMB 200,000 and RMB 250,000. He also pledged to sponsor Antarctic trips for 10 outstanding employees and 10 customers next winter. On Dec.15th, Yu addressed the issue again during a livestream, confirming plans to travel to Antarctica next winter and stating that two livestream hosts would be selected by lottery, alongside 10 members of the public, to join the trip.
Strict Environmental Rules for Visitors
Antarctica’s fragile and unique ecosystem demands careful protection. Visitors must follow strict behavioural guidelines while on the continent. Ships operating nearby may carry no more than 500 passengers, and no more than 100 people are allowed ashore at a single site at any one time.
Tourists are forbidden from sitting or lying on the ground. They may only step on rocks or ice wearing disinfected footwear and must keep a minimum distance of five metres from wildlife, including penguins and seals.
Rising visitor numbers and climate change are weakening natural barriers to invasive species. Between late 2023 and early 2024, researchers confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza on the continent for the first time, posing a serious threat to penguin and seabird populations.
Kevin Hughes, a researcher at the British Antarctic Survey, warns that tourists’ boots can carry seeds and pathogens. Cargo, vehicles, and food supplies on cruise ships may also transport insects, plants, or even rodents. Marine organisms can be carried on ship hulls as well.
Written by Estelle Tang, additional reporting by CNS, Xinhua, China Business Journal and Chengdu Hongxing News.
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