Is COVID-19 helping or hindering effective management of Antarctic tourism?

Antarctica is the most isolated continent on Earth, and ship-based tourism is the main access route for people to visit the place. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted Antarctic tourism, disrupting both travel to the continent and the management of human activity in Antarctica. Here we present a short overview of (1) the Antarctic tourism status quo during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) a SWOT analysis of the future challenges and opportunities COVID-19 poses for those operating in such a remote wilderness area. We suggest that the pause in Antarctic tourism caused by the pandemic offers a unique opportunity to consider a more adaptive model of Antarctic tourism management rather than return to business as usual.