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Originally Posted by twogypsies
Since you're in Alaska....what damage are you seeing for this past summer's halt? I'm sure many of the businesses are having a difficult time and once they're closed it would be hard to re-open.
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Tourism is an important part of the Alaska State economy. Cruise ships, and their passengers, certainly are a major contributor to Southeast Alaska’s economy. Reports claim the region lost $800 million in revenue because of the non-existent 2020 cruise ship season. That revenue loss hit the region because independently guided tours such as flightseeing, fishing, and glacier visits didn’t materialize.
Restrictions on border crossings, in the form of a travel ban, also limits independent travelers. As a result, the owners of brick and mortar stores along the state’s highway system faced a difficult year. Overall, Alaska in general, faces another year of economic hardship if Canada continues border closures.
The Alaska portion of the Highway System, normally traveled by summer vacationers from the Lower 48, was essentially free of tourists. Vehicles bearing non-resident plates were rare. And, I suspect many that were seen belonged to travelers who return on an annual basis and leave a vehicle here in the interim.
My personal observation: almost all of the last summer RV traffic sported Alaska license plates. Many of those were emblazoned with a vehicle agency’s advertising. Obviously rented, I don’t know what percentage were occupied by vacationers who bypassed the border restrictions with an airline connection.
China flu restrictions complicated that alternative. Mandatory quarantine regulations in Alaska, that were in place, required a two – week lockdown
period upon arrival.
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