THE GREAT PARADOX OF TOURISM is that the more accessible a place becomes, the less desirable it is to visit.
Of course, most destinations observe a sentimental equilibrium whereat one can visit with relative ease, and yet impress their friends, but I reckon Antarctic tourism has passed that point. The internet hasn’t helped; the continent’s alien mystery could hardly withstand the viral videos of influencers twerking on its glaciers or gasping in performative awe at passing icebergs from the balcony suites of cruise liners. Fundamentally – in the eyes of modernity’s swelling cynicism –
