City leaders expect 1.6 million passengers to visit Juneau this summer. It would be a nearly 50% increase from last year’s estimated 1.1 million.
Each of those visitors generates money for the city through fees charged to cruise ships: a $5 marine passenger fee, $3 port development fee and $5 state commercial passenger vessel fee. If the 1.6 million passenger expectation becomes reality, they would generate $21.5 million in revenue.
“We’re gearing up for a really, really big season this year,” said Juneau Tourism Manager Alexandra Pierce.
Pierce has proposed putting that money toward a range of city services and projects. They include $10 million for the Seawalk, $2 million for Marine Park improvements and $1 million for the proposed Capital Civic Center.
A 2019 settlement agreement with the Cruise Lines International Association Alaska limits the city’s use of marine passenger fees. Some projects require approval by the tourism industry. This year’s list includes proposed improvements to Homestead Park, the viewpoint on Douglas Island directly across from downtown Juneau. Pierce said that project could involve rebuilding the staircase down to the water.
“We’re pretty encumbered on how we can spend the funds, but we also want to make sure that we’re spending them in a way that not only supports the visitor industry but also creates lasting assets for the community, which is why something like the Seawalk is a major priority,” Pierce said.
Some of the allocations came from project proposals submitted by city departments and the public in December. For example, Capital Transit proposed adding information screens at the transit center to help tourists use city buses more easily. The proposed list includes $75,000 for more signs at the transit center and at Peratrovich Plaza by the cruise ship docks.
“An interesting thing that’s happened in the last year is an uptick in the number of tourists using the city bus and taking it to where it drops off on Dredge Lake [Road], which is still about a mile from the glacier,” Pierce said. “We’ve realized we need to improve signage and wayfinding for that new increased use.”
The list also includes $50,000 to study seasonal worker housing. Other proposed allocations would support police, emergency medical services and street cleaning.
Juneau residents can send their comments to Pierce until March 17 by mail to the city manager’s office or by email to alexandra.pierce@juneau.gov.
Those comments will be submitted along with the proposed list to the Juneau Assembly’s finance committee. The Assembly will consider the final list during its budget cycle this spring.
