Travel Guides:Travel Trends: Cruising in Alaska is up, so why are people angry?
Article Summary:
It’s a trip of a lifetime for many of us. We imagine towering snow covered peaks with flowing glaciers draping down their sides, eagles soaring overhead while brown bears pluck spawning
Article Content:
Filed under: North America, United States, Transportation, Cruises
Alaska: The “Last Frontier.”
It’s a trip of a lifetime for many of us. We imagine towering snow covered peaks with flowing glaciers draping down their sides, eagles soaring overhead while brown bears pluck spawning salmon from wild rivers right in front of our camera lenses. In short, we dream of a pure untouched landscape straight from a lost primordial world. And in truth, this beauty and peace is just what most visitors to Alaska find.
Within the state, however, there has been a battle raging. Statewide tourism has seen a steady and substantial increase in the last decade. The recently published Alaska Visitor Statistics Program Report (opens in PDF) sponsored by Alaska’s Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED) shows a 25% increase in total visitors to the state between 2001 and 2008. The same report documents a nearly 30% increase in visitation via cruise ship travelers (Fig.1 “Total Visitors to Alaska Vs. Those Visiting via Cruise Ship Tour”). And there-in lies the seeds of debate.
Why?
This level of growth has come at the expense of other forms of travel.Continue reading Travel Trends: Cruising in Alaska is up, so why are people angry?
Travel Trends: Cruising in Alaska is up, so why are people angry? originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: activism, alaska, cruise, CruiseShips, cruising, crusie ships, CrusieShips, environment, legislation, travel trends, TravelTrends