- You have to start dodging people on the sidewalks.
- Cars have to stop for tourists who think it's fine to stop traffic by standing in the main street to take pictures!
- Museum hours change, and the Park Service starts charging for entry into the Cultural Center.
- Some specialty shops that were closed all winter open for their special clients.
- The view of the harbor is filled with gigantic floating cities; the ocean cruise ships.
Patterns of commerce change once the tourist season starts. Locals avoid downtown shopping because it gets unpleasantly crowded. Drivers avoid downtown because it gets congested, due to tourists standing in the traffic. The economic benefits of tourism come at a cost, anywhere there's tourism.We get different classes of tourists: the "package tourists" such as cruise ship tourists who buy a tour package and arrive in groups, and the "independant tourist" plan their own itineraries, such as chartering a boat to take them fishing etc. The charter industry is an entire blog story in itself.
Look up in the menu under "How to Get Here" and you'll see that the travel to Sitka is mostly by Alaska Airlines, and the Alaska State Ferry. Cruise ships aren't listed, because that's not a primary source of transportation, like the other methods. Even if you drive to Alaska, you still have to put your car on the State Ferry to get here.
One last way to tell it's tourist season, is the RV parking at Sealing Cove tends to fill up.
Enjoy the summer everyone! Just remember you're visiting our home. Sitkans are generally friendly and welcoming, but visitors should treat their hosts with the same etiquette you would use if you were a stranger invited into their home.
Some interesting visitor statistics from the Alaska Dept. of Commerce and Economic Development.
