Popular cruise destination limits passenger numbers in new crackdown
A leading cruise destination in the USA has decided to set a daily limit on passenger numbers.
Juneau in Alaska, one of the USA’s top cruise destinations, has decided to limit the number of passengers allowed to visit each day.
Under new rules, agreed on May 4, just 16,000 cruise ship passengers will be allowed to disembark each day.
On Saturdays, that number will drop to 12,000 people in an effort to reduce the number of people visiting Juneau.
Alexandra Pierce, Juneau visitor industry director, 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.
“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.
“This work is difficult, time-consuming and extremely important for our community.”
Juneau has decided to introduce limits on visitor numbers in response to a record-breaking number of passengers in 2023.
Around 1.6 million people visited Juneau in 2023, marking a 23 percent increase on pre-pandemic numbers.
Juneau is Alaska’s capital city and it’s a top destination on cruises visiting the northern US region.
Popular activities include whale-watching, visiting the Mendenhall Glacier and fishing for fresh fish.
It’s not the only cruise destination to be concerned over rising numbers with top destinations such as Majorca also considering passenger limits.