After a record-breaking boom in cruise ship tourism following the COVID-19 pandemic, city leaders in Juneau have been publicly considering if — and how — they can limit that growth in the coming years.
“This has been a hard-fought agreement for the city, and it is a huge win for the city,” she said. “It is exactly what I wanted out of this, and I’m extremely happy that we’re here.”Last year, a record-breaking 1.6 million passengers visited Juneau, with about the same expected this year and next. Pierce said the new agreement should keep the annual passenger count at that same level.
But some residents in Juneau, like Karla Hart, said they are less than impressed. Hart is a longtime advocate who often criticizes the growth of tourism in Juneau and the effects it has on the people who live here year-round. Hart and four other residents are trying to get a question on the local ballot this October asking whether Juneau shouldSo far, she said they’ve collected enough signatures to get it on the ballot, but the city clerk is still verifying them.
But Pierce has long said negotiations are better than trying to enforce regulations. That’s because other communities have tried to do that andin the past. A lawsuit over how the city spends the money it earns from passenger fees was settled in 2019, with both parties agreeing to work together to settle disputes outside of court.
“There was a ballot measure that limited cruise ships that passed in Bar Harbor, Maine, and there are lawsuits on top of lawsuits on top of injunctions on top of different trading legal barbs, and the city spent a lot of money on legal fees,” she said. “So I think there would be a lot of legal activity after a ballot initiative passed.”