Dear IAATO Members,

I hope you are all keeping safe and well during these uncertain and challenging times.

As with all of you, the IAATO Secretariat is adjusting to the strange new world we find ourselves in. We are now working from home which, for some of us, means managing time across homeschooling children and caring for older family members. We are, nevertheless, managing to fulfil all of our IAATO responsibilities.

The Executive Committee and secretariat have decided not to host an online annual meeting in May; instead, we have postponed it until mid-June when only essential business will be conducted by video conference. We hope to be able to share a pared-down agenda with you within the next few weeks, along with a more detailed explanation of how the meeting will be managed.

As you know all too well, COVID-19 has dealt a severe blow to our industry and we are all struggling to adapt to these difficult circumstances. While we continue to attend to the longer-term needs of Antarctic tourism, we see IAATO’s immediate role as focusing on the things that are critical to you as operators and streamlining our operations to deliver those as efficiently as possible.

We will continue to update you on the development of the alternative annual meeting in June, and we are still here to help you in any way we can.

Our thoughts are with you all as you navigate these unprecedented circumstances.

Be well.

Terry Shaller

On behalf of the Executive Committee and IAATO Secretariat