Juneau Limits Cruise Ship Visitors to Fight Overtourism

The Alaskan city of Juneau will limit cruise ship visitors to fight overtourism. This new agreement between Juneau and major cruise ships will cut the number of daily expected cruise passengers to 16,000 on Sunday through Friday and 12,000 on Saturday. 

The deal between Juneau and the Cruise Lines International Association in Alaska was finalized on May 24. This includes Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Corporation, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean. 

Juneau Visitor Industry Director Alexandra Pierce said, “The cruise industry is vital to our local economy, and we need to improve our infrastructure and grow our tour capacity to create a great guest experience and reduce impacts on residents.” Pierce added, With this agreement, we are committing to a cap to manage our busiest days and to meet annually to ensure that our visitor numbers remain sustainable.” 

Overtourism Prevention

Juneau residents have already complained about the traffic and the additional noise pollution that comes with tourists. In particular, residents complained when tourists visit glaciers using helicopters. In addition to this, cruise seasons were extended from early April to late October. But on the other hand, some businesses rely on tourists

The CLIA supports Juneau’s decision to limit cruise line passengers visiting the city. It said that it was “a well-balanced and thoughtful approach to keeping Juneau a great place to live and visit.” 

In a statement on CBS MoneyWatch, it said, “Ongoing, direct dialogue with local communities is the best way to jointly self-regulate to preserve great resident and visitor experiences while providing a predictable market for the many local businesses that rely on the cruise industry,”

This is not the first time Juneau implemented rules to limit visitors. Last year, only five large ships per day were allowed. Similarly, some cities are taking similar steps to limit tourists. In 2022, Bar Harbor, Maine limited visitors to 1000 per day. And last year, the California city of Monterey banned cruise ships.