Current:Home > MarketsA new agreement would limit cruise passengers in Alaska’s capital. A critic says it falls short -NextGen Capital Academy
A new agreement would limit cruise passengers in Alaska’s capital. A critic says it falls short
View
Date:2025-04-27 13:22:22
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A new agreement between Alaska’s capital city and major cruise lines seeks to cap the daily number of cruise ship passengers arriving in Juneau starting in 2026, though a prominent critic of the cruise industry said Tuesday the planned limits do not do enough.
The agreement, finalized late last week, seeks a daily limit of 16,000 cruise passengers Sundays through Fridays and 12,000 on Saturdays. However, officials said that doesn’t necessarily mean there will be that many people every day.
Cruise passengers numbers ramped up rapidly after two, pandemic-stunted years, hitting a record of more than 1.6 million passengers in Juneau last year. That’s caused tension between businesses that rely on tourism and residents who are fed up with increased traffic, busy trails and the hum of helicopters ferrying visitors to glaciers.
Cruise seasons also have gotten longer, with the first boat this year arriving in Juneau in early April and the last set to arrive in late October. On peak days in the past, passenger numbers have totaled about two-thirds of Juneau’s population of roughly 32,000 people.
A daily limit of five large ships took effect with the current season, as part of a separate agreement signed last year.
Alexandra Pierce, Juneau’s visitor industry director, said Tuesday that the aim with the current agreement is to hold cruise passenger numbers roughly steady, in the 1.6 million range.
“The idea is that the agreement buys everybody time not only to see if it is sustainable but also to build the infrastructure that will help it feel more sustainable,” she said.
Pierce said she expects a number of projects will be completed in the next five years “that will help our current numbers feel less impactful.” She cited plans for a gondola at the city-owned ski area, updates to the downtown sea walk and increased visitor capacity at the popular Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area.
The agreement, which was signed by the city manager and major cruise line executives, also calls for yearly meetings to “review lessons learned, to review and optimize the subsequent season’s operations, and align on community and industry parameters, goals, and opportunities.”
Pierce said city leaders are “trying to balance the needs of our residents, the needs of our economy, the needs of future opportunities for people to stay in our community.”
Karla Hart, a longtime critic of the industry, is skeptical of the new agreement, saying it doesn’t do enough to address concerns many residents have that current tourism levels are unsustainable.
“It feels like we’re just getting led along again, and expansion will continue and more time will pass” and impacts will continue, she said.
Hart is helping push a proposed local ballot initiative that would institute “ship free Saturdays,” with no cruise ships with a capacity of at least 250 passengers allowed to stop in Juneau on Saturdays or on July 4. The signature-review process for the proposed measure is underway. If the measure is certified, it could appear on the October ballot.
Renée Limoge Reeve, vice president of government and community relations for Cruise Lines International Association Alaska, a trade group, said initiatives “remove the opportunity for collaboration and discussion, and I think that that leaves a lot to be desired.”
She said the agreements with Juneau are the first such agreements the industry has signed in Alaska and underscore the cruise lines’ commitment “to being good partners in the communities that we visit.” Juneau and other southeast Alaska communities are popular stops on cruises that leave from Seattle or Vancouver. The much-smaller community of Sitka also has been grappling with the debate over tourism numbers.
Reeve and Pierce also participated Tuesday in a Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce news conference to discuss the agreement.
veryGood! (6)
Related
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Southern Baptist trustees back agency president but warn against needless controversy
- Francine weakens moving inland from Gulf Coast after hurricane winds cause blackouts
- Nearly six months later, a $1.1 billion Mega Millions jackpot still hasn’t been claimed
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Gaudreau’s Sister Katie Speaks Out After Their Tragic Deaths
- Jordan Chiles Says Her Heart Is Broken After Having Olympic Medal Stripped
- Nikki Garcia Files for Divorce From Artem Chigvintsev After His Domestic Violence Arrest
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- 2024 MTV VMAs Red Carpet Fashion: See Every Look as the Stars Arrive
Ranking
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Judge disqualifies Cornel West from running for president in Georgia
- When does 'The Golden Bachelorette' start? Premiere date, cast, what to know about Joan Vassos
- The prison where the ‘In Cold Blood’ killers were executed will soon open for tours
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- Reggie Bush was at his LA-area home when 3 male suspects attempted to break in
- Warm oceans strengthened Hurricane Francine and could power more Fall storms
- CLIMATE GLIMPSE: Wildfires plague U.S. West and Brazil, Yagi rampages in Vietnam
Recommendation
Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
2024 MTV VMAs: How Nicky Hilton’s Kids Fangirl Over Aunt Paris Hilton
The Best Kate Spade Outlet Deals Under $100 – Score $39 Wallets, $39 Wristlets, $58 Crossbodies & More
Shohei Ohtani inches closer to 50-50 milestone with home run, steal in Dodgers win
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
Inflation eases to three-year low in August. How will it affect Fed rate cuts?
Phoenix Suns call ex-employee's $60M demand for discrimination, wrongful termination 'ridiculous'
Orlando Bloom Adorably Introduces Katy Perry by Her Birth Name Before Love-Filled MTV VMAs Speech