Tag: tourism

Sitka at a ‘tipping point’ as residents grapple with impact of tourism

Sitka’s summer tourism season is in full swing with numbers expected to be close to last year’s record-breaking 585,000 cruise visitors. On a handful of days the number of visitors will exceed Sitka’s own population of about 8000. On a busy day in June, the scale of the phenomenon was on full display. Lincoln Street was closed, people streamed up and down the steps of St. Michael’s Cathedral, buses rumbled in and out of the parking lot at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Read More

Sitka tries to find the ‘right size’ for tourism as it reflects on another record-breaking cruise season

Southeast Alaska has seen an explosion in cruise tourism in just the last two years, and communities are struggling to cope with the crowding, congestion – and simple exhaustion – that comes from managing the rapid growth. Next summer, the city of Juneau is planning to limit cruise traffic to five ships a day, the result of a newly negotiated agreement between the city and the cruise line industry. But Sitka’s only cruise dock is privately owned, and although its owner has said he plans to strategically manage ship visits next year, it may not satisfy Sitkans looking for a legislative solution. Read More
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