Residents Reject Ship-Free Saturdays in Juneau, Alaska

Residents of Juneau, on the frontline of the cruise over-tourism issue in Alaska, recently voted to reject a proposal to ban cruise ship calls on Saturdays.

The results of the recent ballot found around 60% voted against the “ship-free Saturday proposal.”

Recent Ballot Vote has Divided Juneau

Juneau resident Karla Hart, an advocate and chief organizer of the ballot initiative to ban cruise ships on Saturdays, says the issue of ever-growing cruise tourism has divided the Juneau community. “The soul of Juneau is being sold off piece by piece,” Hart told The Guardian.

At a recent meeting of activists and local people worried over the impact of cruise calls in Juneau, Indigenous community leader Stacy Eldemar said: “I don’t like the uncontrolled growth, the impact on the ecosystem that I’m seeing. It is so important that we have these places.”

“It’s ironic that the very thing these tourists are seeking is being destroyed by the industry that’s bringing them here.”

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Conversely, a significant proportion of the 30,000 Juneau residents see cruise tourism as the only way forward for prosperity.

The days of lumber and gold as the main economic drivers for the region are long gone. Business owner Holly Johnson of Wings Airways operates sightseeing floatplanes and employs 78 people. “Everybody is somehow touched by tourism because that’s the fabric of community.”

Support for Cruise Tourism Remains Strong

The ‘vote no’ initiative by local business owners was backed by funding from cruise lines but had wide local support. The Protect Juneau’s Future campaign spearheaded the opposition to a Saturday ban for cruise ships. While supported by the cruise industry, there was a lot of grassroots support too.

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Portland Sarantopoulos, the campaign manager for Protect Juneau’s Future, said before the vote: “This is a local organization led by residents from diverse backgrounds. In addition to monetary donations from cruise lines, we are proud of the many small dollar donations made by residents concerned about the negative impacts of ship-free Saturday.”

Industry group Cruise Lines International Association said: “We believe ongoing, direct dialogue with local communities is the best way to collaboratively self-regulate while providing a stable market for the many local businesses that depend on the cruise industry.”