Alaska
Growth in Southeast Alaska cruise traffic brings new challenges – KRBD
Passengers disembark from the Holland America ship Koningsdam in Ketchikan throughout one of many ship’s first voyages to Alaska in Could 2022. (Eric Stone/KRBD)
After two years with little to no visitors, the Alaska cruise trade is again in power this summer time. Whereas passenger numbers aren’t anticipated to interrupt 2019 information, cruise strains have scheduled extra stops at Southeast ports greater than ever — and that brings new challenges.
Earlier this month, native elected officers and tourism trade figures gathered aboard the Holland America cruise ship Koningsdam in Ketchikan. Vice Mayor Mark Flora offered the captain with a plaque commemorating the ship’s debut on the Alaska cruise market.
“Welcome to Ketchikan. On behalf of the group, we’re glad to have you ever again. We’re wanting ahead to many profitable visits,” Flora mentioned.
The Koningsdam is the most important Holland America ship to go to Alaska. It’s practically 1000 ft lengthy and carries 2,800 passengers and 1,000 crew. On this voyage, it’s about 60% full. It’s one in all six ships visiting Ketchikan for the primary time this 12 months — together with three smaller boats from boutique strains and two megaships. Ketchikan Guests Bureau President and CEO Patti Mackey says it’s a part of a welcome development.
“The truth that they’re deploying new ships, bigger ships, the truth that we’re additionally seeing ships like Viking … new cruise strains like Ocean Victory — that’s all very constructive for the trade,” Mackey mentioned.
Although an identical variety of ships are crusing the Inside Passage this summer time in comparison with 2019, port calls are up considerably — greater than 10% in each Ketchikan and Juneau.
A part of the expansion in port calls could be attributed to the cruise season in Alaska getting longer — ships at the moment are crusing the Inside Passage properly into mid-October.
New services are additionally enjoying a job. Ketchikan opened two new berths final 12 months. Port calls in Sitka are up by 40% over 2019 following the enlargement of a privately-owned cruise terminal, and with bigger ships coming, passenger volumes might double. Mackey says continued infrastructure development is important.
“For extra ships to come back to Alaska, we have to have locations for them to go,” Mackey mentioned.
However with development comes rising pains. Mackey says operators everywhere in the area are struggling to employees up.
“Two issues that I hear most from all companies, whether or not it’s a tour firm or retailer, a lodge — hiring and housing,” Mackey mentioned. “That’s the problem for the workforce.”
And after two years of little or no enterprise from cruise ships, some individuals in Southeast say communities ought to shift their focus away from cruise tourism. Karla Hart, an activist who led an effort to restrict cruise ships in Juneau with a package deal of poll initiatives, says Southeast communities ought to search for different sources of income.
“The cruise trade is a completely unreliable associate for us to have the extent of overreliance that we do for our economic system,” Hart mentioned.
Non-cruise journey boomed in 2021 amid a roughly 90% drop in cruise tourism.
Hart says she’d prefer to see Juneau restrict the variety of cruise guests and give attention to rising unbiased journey.
“One or two cruise ships a day that present life and vibrancy and assist to assist native companies, however don’t overrun all the things to the purpose the place it’s an unattractive vacation spot for anybody else,” Hart mentioned.
Juneau’s metropolis tourism supervisor, Alexandra Pierce, says native officers are working with the cruise trade on methods to restrict congestion after a job power recognized 50 concepts to enhance the customer trade within the Capital Metropolis. And she or he says Juneau’s advertising company has centered all of its advert cash on attracting unbiased vacationers. Pierce says Juneau is diversifying in different methods, too.
“We’re taking steps to get funding to improve and increase our conference heart with the hope of attracting extra conference guests, convention guests, and that’s definitely supportive — throughout the winter months particularly,” Pierce mentioned.
Ketchikan’s guests bureau has additionally centered a lot of its advertising efforts on unbiased vacationers. And there are some efforts to restrict tourism’s affect on day-to-day life for residents. The guests bureau launched a Tourism Greatest Administration Practices program modeled after an identical effort in Juneau. This system outlines finest practices for shore tour operators and serves as a clearinghouse for complaints.
Past efforts in particular person communities, Pierce says Southeast Alaska port cities have to have a dialog about what they need the long run to seem like.
“That’s one thing that we’ll have to work with the remainder of the communities on this area to type of assist steadiness development and assist steadiness a few of these impacts,” she mentioned.
However for now, cruise tourism stays the financial powerhouse for Southeast Alaska’s customer trade.