You don't have to be a business owner in the tourism industry to feel the effects of the slowing economy in Ketchikan. It makes sense...not many people are rushing to purchase an Alaskan cruise when unemployment is at 9.5%. But if you've ever wanted to experience Alaska, now is the time to buy. Cruise lines have slashed their prices to fill vacant ships. The deals are astounding.
Although my salary is not directly affected by tourism (I'm a teacher), I still felt the pinch when many local residents left Ketchikan to find jobs in other parts of the U.S. As a result, many teachers were scared of losing their jobs due to plummeting enrollment in schools. I breathed a sigh of relief when enough veteran teachers retired; which allowed the non-tenured teachers (me) to keep their jobs.
My summer job isn't panning out to what I thought It would be either. Business is much slower at the restaurant, which means less hours and less tips.
Next summer's cruise ship season will presumably be even worse. Cruise West, Norwegian, Holland America, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean are all "reducing" their stops to Ketchikan. These reductions will result in a loss of about 150,000 people. Many resident's livelihoods rely on tourism. Ketchikan will definitely feel the blow next summer with 150,000 less people roaming the streets of downtown.
4 comments:
If Ketchikan gets lucky, though, the first businesses to go will be the jewelry stores that just pop in from the Caribbean for a few weeks each year.
It's funny you mentioned that Murray. I was thinking the same thing! It would be nice to have some authentic stores or museums for tourists and residents.
I agree. I was shocked when we stopped in Ketchikan and one of the first shops that I saw was a Little Switzerland. We are coming again in September, so it will be interesting to see how it has changed.
One reason that some ships are cutting back is the dreaded $50 head tax. It's very short-sighted and will have a major effect on jobs.
Yep, the head tax seems to be the killer. The cruise lines defend the tax by saying, "what's another $50?" But it's yet another expense added to an already expensive vacation for tourists.
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