Delta’s competition with Alaska Airlines will drive airfares down.
Tourism
As tourists arrive for whale watching in Southeast Alaska, officials remind visitors to keep their distance
Tourist season is beginning in Southeast Alaska, which likely means around a half million people will be hoping to see whales.
Optimism abounds as Ketchikan kicks off cruise season
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.
Scrubbers are supposed to clean cruise ship stack emissions. Critics say they pollute the water instead.
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.
In some Southeast Alaska communities, COVID cases are rising as cruise season starts
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.
Norwegian Bliss docks in Juneau half full on first day of cruise season
After two summers of little to no business, Juneau’s tourist shops, tour operators and other local businesses are eager for visitors.