Cruise ships at Alaska’s capital, Juneau, which has a population of 32,000 but had 1.67m cruise ship visitors last year – a 23% rise on the previous record. Photograph: Stephen Dorey/Alamy

We salute you for the care you have chosen to demonstrate, and the sacrifice, Juneau:

Alaska limits cruise ship passengers in capital city after 1.6m visitors last year

Juneau agrees deal with industry body to curtail visits but critics say it does not go far enough to protect quality of life

The Gastineau Channel near Juneau. Some critics of the cruise industry have proposed ‘ship-free Saturdays’ to cut down on the number of ships stopping there. Photograph: Alexandre Rosa/Alamy

Alaska’s capital city is to limit the numbers of cruise ship passengers arriving at the port amid concerns over tourism’s growing impact, but a leading critic of the industry has said further measures to protect Alaskans’ quality of life are needed.

Located on the Gastineau Channel in southern Alaska, Juneau has a population of 32,000 and last year received a record 1.65 million cruise ship passengers – a 23% increase from the previous high. Continue reading →