China's first commercial tour to the Antarctic Continent was called off Monday due to insufficient numbers.

Describing the cancellation as unexpected, a spokesman with the Overseas Travel Company of Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang Province told Xinhua that there are regulations requiring each tour group to have at least three members - there were only two.

According to the spokesman, the Hangzhou Overseas Travel Company started to promote a 15-day round trip at a price of 78,888 yuan (US$9,730) for each client in early January, which prompted a flurry of early enquiries.

A polar tour group consisting of only six members was finally formed. The group were to set off from Shanghai on Tuesday and arrive in Buenos Aires via Paris and then Ushaia, the southernmost city in Argentina. From there, the group would leave for the Antarctic by changing to a cruise liner from Ushaia on Feb. 24.

But the abortion of the tour became inevitable when two clients changed their minds due to price concerns and two more also decided to drop out for business or health reasons.

"Polar trips are restricted to three months in a year due to climatic conditions, and the schedule of our polar tour group coincides with the last voyage of the cruise liner to the Antarctic Continent this season. Those who are still interested in polar trips will have to wait until December this year," said the spokesman.

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2006)