Key Tourist Destinations Rethink Their Reliance on Cruising

When cruising returns to Juneau, Alaska it’s expected to host about 620 ships, bringing more than 1.3 million visitors to the state. Juneau citizens argue that so many pax coming ashore during the summer season changes the way of life in the city of 32,000. They say the pandemic shutdown has made them aware of how beholden the city is to cruise lines, which pump about $1.3B USD in direct spending into the Alaska economy—and millions locally. However, they aren’t alone. Many cruise destinations are using the pandemic to pivot away from mass cruise tourism, which, opponents say, clogs streets, stresses infrastructure, and threatens delicate coral ecosystems that provide natural buffers against hurricanes.

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