The International Polar Tourism Research Network (IPTRN) is a group with a shared interest in research that advances the understanding of tourism in and about the Polar Regions. The IPTRN strives to generate, share and dis- seminate knowledge, resources and perspectives on polar tourism; and strongly supports the development of international collaboration and cooper- ative relationships between members.

With the uncertain circumstances we are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have come to the difficult decision that the 7^th IPTRN conference will need to be physically postponed. This is congruent with correspondence we have received from the Argentine Government, specifically the Argentine Secretariat of University Policies, who have stated that all mobility activities in the second semester of 2020 will need to be postponed until at least 2021.

We extend our sincere thanks to our colleagues at UNTDF for their hard work and dedication in planning over the past 2 years. We sincerely hope that a physical conference will be possible in Ushuaia in 2021. Furthermore, we will continue to discuss virtual conference options for 2020/2021, and also continue to work with partners in Northern Europe and Alaska as planning takes shape for future IPTRN conferences (2022 and 2024, respectively).

We wish all of those in our polar tourism community continued health and happiness.

IPTRN Steering Committee