In the 70s there were no cruise-ships and tourists were few and far between. Now you have more than 16,000 people a day arriving in Juneau looking for an authentic Alaskan experience.
Juneau agrees deal with industry body to curtail visits but critics say it does not go far enough to protect quality of life.
Alaska’s capital city is to limit the numbers of cruise ship passengers arriving at the port amid concerns over tourism’s growing impact, but a leading critic of the industry has said further measures to protect Alaskans’ quality of life are needed.
Located on the Gastineau Channel in southern Alaska, Juneau has a population of 32,000 and last year received a record 1.65 million cruise ship passengers – a 23% increase from the previous high.
While many businesses encourage the bonanza of tourist dollars, other people are bothered by buzzing helicopters, crowded streets and hiking trails, and damage to the local environment.
Seeking to balance the economic benefits against the effects of high numbers of visitors, the city reached an agreement last week with the Cruise Lines International Association in Alaska that will limit daily cruise passenger arrivals to 16,000 from Sundays to Fridays and to 12,000 on Saturdays.
Alaska limits cruise ship passengers in capital city after 1.6m visitors last year
Greg