Record-breaking 1.64 million passengers on cruise ships travelled to Juneau this year according to city officials.
“That is around 40% more than the previous season, and around 30% more than our previous record-breaking year which was the year of 2019” explained Juneau Tourism Director Alexandra Pierce.
In 2019, 1.33 million cruise ship tourists visited Juneau. In the previous calendar year 1.15 million visited the area.
The influx of passengers has resulted in further concerns of Juneau residents. The most sought-after tourist destination in the city is the Mendenhall Glacier, reached its capacity for tours. Some entrepreneurs say it was difficult keeping up.
Pierce said that although this year’s numbers may have been unexpected, it’s consistent with the pre-pandemic forecasts. In the year 2019 the year that city mayor Beth Weldon established the Visitor Industry Task Group, Juneau expected passenger numbers to continue increasing steadily over the years ahead.
span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”Then the pandemic struck,” Pierce said. “We put a couple of years off, and then all of the people who were expected to be in the 2023 year arrived. However, we didn’t increase over the .”
“Shoulder to shoulder”
Pierce stated that more tourists would mean more complaints from local residents this year – to her as well as at and to Juneau Assembly and to the city’s Tourism Best Management Practices hotline.
The hotline received more than twice the number of complaints this year compared to the previous year. Many were about shuttles and buses. However, there were many more complaints in”other” category “other” category that Pierce stated includes things such as Internet speed and general bustle.
Downtown Juneau was more crowded than it has ever been, and this was it wasn’t just due to the sheer amount of people visiting was increasing. Another reason is the lack of tours on tour buses for Mendenhall Glacier. Mendenhall Glacier. Tour operators had sold out by the time they reached the peak of the season, meaning that more people stayed in downtown.
Pierce stated that business owners were not happy about the increase in foot movement.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”We received reports from business owners who said they were doing very well in terms of financial performance,” she said. “We were also told by business owners and those that have worked in the field for a long time, that this is akin to that of the Juneau’s .”
Kyle Sage, who works at Mt. Juneau Trading Post, called this season “intense .”
It’s a span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”At times it was shoulder-to-shoulder at the counter,” he said. “Sometimes I ran out of supplies. .”
Mt. Juneau Trading Post sells handmade drums and ivory carvings, along keys and jewelry that are souvenirs.
Sage stated that he typically orders merchandise only once per season. This year was something different.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”Normally I make one order reorder,” he said. “This summer, I called reps. I think I spoke to them two or three times to keep ahead of the curve. Some times it was successful, and sometimes it did not. I’m waiting for the orders I placed in September, August. .”
Sage is already planning the year to come. Sage usually places orders for the bulk of his items in February or January and it will be delivered in April.
“But it seems like they’re moving boats forward, and I’ll look to purchase the delivery in March,” he said.
Tuncay Esener who runs another store in downtown, Pandora’s Box, has also been adjusting to the earlier seasons. The first time he had a summer in Juneau took place in 2022 and he set out to open the store on June 15. The second time it was decided that he would start the shop earlier.
The store also updated its products, offering more hand-made Turkish products. He also said that the vibrant stained glass lamps he had hanging all over the store were his most sought-after product.
He’s eager to have more local customers after the tourist season has ended.
It’s a great place to shop. style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”Local customers don’t want to visit during summertime due to the high volume of customers,” he said. “I will be extremely happy to see people from the local area in my store. .”
The issue of staffing continues to be a problem
Research company Rain Coast Data reports on Southeast Alaska’s tourism industry every year. In their report for this year, they noted that despite the record-breaking amount of tourists but the number of workers in tourism was below the levels of 2019.
Gary Totwani and his wife established their own jewelry store, Gary’s Fine Jewelry, in the year 2020. They’d been hoping for a record-setting season prior to the outbreak of the pandemic.
Its style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”We were to start in March however, there was no one around,” Totwani said. “It did not make sense to take on more debt. .”
They were able for November 2020 to open. They’ve managed to build a local customer base through offering repairs and customized jewellery, Totwani admitted that finding employees was an issue this year. They had to rely on an individual from the family to provide assistance.
It’s a span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”The staffing situation is an issue that is a major one during Juneau.” Totwani said. “We’d try to reach out to someone but they wouldn’t have the expertise. If they did have prior experience, we’d contact them and they would tell us, ‘I’ll come but nobody appears. .”
A survey conducted in March 2023 study survey, business owners from the Southeast reported that the shortage of childcare and housing were the most significant obstacles to recruiting and keeping employees.
The next season will be a bit longer
The next season’s schedule will be the first in Juneau, with a the limit being five large vessels each day. Pierce believes that Tuesdays will be more relaxed the following year.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”Our most popular Tuesdays this summer saw around 21,000 people that’s a staggering amount of people,” she explained. “Our busiest Tuesdays for next summer will be 17,000 or more. Still very heavy days but they’ll be less possible fever that we witnessed on one of the most busy times this year. .”
However the number of users during the year will be about identical.
“The 2024 summer season is expected to be similar in size however, it will be slightly longer.” Rain Coast Data analysts have written in their report.. “The time for cruise ships is anticipated to last for seven-month .”
Juneau’s initial ship of 2024’s season has been planned for 8 April, and the final is scheduled for October. 24. However, Pierce states that larger shipsas well as ships that have fewer bedsare more likely to have contributed to growth than the longer shoulders have.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”Our constant numbers for 2025 suggest that they’re maintaining the same ships in the market, in a way and that the market is slowing down,” she said. “That lets us engage in the discussions we’ll must have in 2026. .”
Meanwhile, the city officials will soon be deciding on the best way to spend this year’s marine passengers fees which is $5 per cruise ship passenger fee that is intended to be used to finance projects that enhance tourism and mitigate the negative impacts of the industry on the local population.
Pierce has a couple of projects aimed at reducing congestion she’d like have funded. One of them is a downtown circulator bus that could help tourists travel to destinations that aren’t in downtown, such as The Alaska State Museum and the Governor’s Mansion.
She’d also like be able to see funds allocated for an extension of the Seawalk up to beyond the AJ dock.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”It will require many shuttles off the roads,” she said. “Right now, they’re able to shuttle lots of people, but it’s not very attractive to walk. If you are off the ship and have an enjoyable walk along the dock and into town, that’s really a different thing .”
The city will be spending the next few weeks surveyed by Juneau residents on their thoughts about the season. Pierce said the results, as well as the results of a visitor survey will be available for review before Juneau’s Juneau Assembly in early December.
