Some 35,000 people visit Antarctica every year. The majority of these travel from South America by ship to the western Antarctic Peninsula and hence enter BAT, where total passenger landings in a season may approach 200,000. The majority of these are recreational visitors on cruise ships, but there are also an increasing number of visitors arriving on private and chartered yachts. Ship-based tourist activities include shore landings and cruising in inflatable boats and kayak excursions, with visitors from yachts also camping and mountaineering. Such visits raise awareness and support for conservation of the Antarctic.