Maybe it's not about the scientists but about the tourists. What kind of people go on vacations in Antarctica?

There are around 66 scientific bases in Antarctica, of which about 37 are occupied year round, the remainder are open during the summer and closed down for winter. There are about 4,000 people through the summer months and about 1,000 overwinter each year.

Tourism visitor numbers in Antarctica have risen to over 100,000 a year