Tourism

Tourist season is beginning in Southeast Alaska, which likely means around a half million people will be hoping to see whales.

Though it’s not clear how full the ships will be, the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau is projecting a record 637 port calls by 48 ships this year.

For the cruise industry, scrubbers are a way to save money by allowing ships to burn cheaper, dirtier fuels. But the toxic chemicals removed from smokestack exhaust don’t just disappear.

Some of the highest case rates and sharpest increases were in communities — like Skagway, Petersburg, and Sitka — that will see a lot of visits from cruise ships.

After two summers of little to no business, Juneau’s tourist shops, tour operators and other local businesses are eager for visitors.

Last year, COVID-19 restrictions meant that cruise ship workers more often than not couldn’t get off the ships in port at all, so businesses in Juneau that cater to crewmembers, did practically zero business.