Alaskans fear tourism is more of a curse than a blessing

In recent weeks the US state of Alaska has welcomed back luxury cruise ships for the first time since the Covid-19 virus led to a shutdown of the tourism industry. While the pandemic has been devastating for businesses in towns like Juneau, it has afforded scientists a rare opportunity for undisturbed study of the region’s star attraction, humpback whales. It also has some Alaska residents wondering if being a global tourist destination is more of a curse than a blessing.

Humpback whale breaching off Icy Straits Point in Alaska. Source: Getty

Over 50 per cent of the city's revenues come from visitors, specifically the giant cruise ships that bring more than a million people to the town a year.

 

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