Mayor Weldon established the Visitor Industry Task Force (VITF) on October 14, 2019 with a charging document that tasked the group with addressing four major issues:

• Tourism industry management
• Revisiting the 2004 Long Range Waterfront Plan
• The concept of a “cap” on the number of visitors
• The necessity of additional public process in the form of surveys

The group held a number of public meetings between October of 2019 and February of 2020 to advise the CBJ Assembly and advance community thinking on a range of visitor industry topics. The VITF took public testimony on January 11, 2020 and February 1, 2020 and received 43 spoken comments and 156 written comments. The testimony reflected a diverse range of viewpoints in the community and generally provided nuanced views of the benefits and impacts of tourism. The final report reflects this, with a wide-ranging list of recommendations to be implemented over the coming years. The VITF report recommends that the CBJ coordinate and centralize tourism functions. The final report was submitted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and provides the Assembly with concrete steps to establish a proactive tourism management approach as the visitor industry returns to Juneau.

The following three agreements are outcomes of the VITF.

5.31.24_CBJ_CruiseLines MOA3_Fully Executed

CBJ-CRUISE LINES SIGNED MEMORANDA OF AGREEMENT

CBJ – CLIAA Memorandum of Agreement

The Visitor Industry Task Force recommended that CBJ conduct regular public surveys on the impacts of tourism. The 2021 and 2022 surveys asked some of the same questions as previous surveys conducted in 1995, 1998, 2002, and 2006, allowing staff to compare data over time. There were also new questions and some that were based on previous questions but were modernized. The telephone survey consisted of 500+ randomly selected Juneau residents. To qualify for the survey, residents had to have resided in Juneau the summer of the most recent visitor season. CBJ plans to conduct additional surveys in coming years and has included funding for a 2023 survey in the Marine Passenger Fee budget.

CBJ Process

Huna Totem Corp’s proposed development at the Subport (formerly owned by Norwegian Cruise Lines) is currently under review by CBJ and by state and federal agencies. The Long Range Waterfront Plan amendment was approved on March 14, 2022. The next step is Planning Commission review of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) application. If a CUP is approved, CBJ will enter into negotiations on a tidelands lease. The terms of the lease would be evaluated by the Assembly and put to a vote.

Tourism Hotline
TBMP has a new website that you can call or email complaints/concerns/compliments to:

• Tourism Best Management Practices Hotline Form

2024 Tourism Best Management Practices Documents
(links will be activated as documents become available)

2024 TBMP Guidelines

Tourism Best Management Practices 2024
The Tourism Best Management Practices program is intended to minimize the impacts of tourism in a manner that addresses both residents’ and industry concerns. By actively participating in this voluntary program, operators demonstrate their commitment to address important community concerns.

Residents can help operators monitor the success of this program by providing feedback to Travel Juneau. You can contact the Tourism Hotline by visiting their website at TravelJuneau.com/tbmp. This is the best method to ensure your concern is viewed and responded to in a timely manner.

If you need immediate assistance from a tourism operator, please call the tourism operator directly at TravelJuneau.com

Questions?

• Elizabeth Arnett, Travel Juneau
  Phone: 907-321-7231, Email: [email protected]

Read the 2024 Hotline Reports on the TMBP website here:  2024 Hotline Reports

• Long Range Waterfront Plan, 2004
• Waterfront Design Guidelines, 2008
• Downtown Juneau Tourism Transportation Impact Study, 2003
• Juneau Economic Development Plan, 2015
• Blueprint Downtown
• Tourism Management Plan, 2002 — Resolution 2170 adopting policies from the 2002 Tourism Management Plan
• 2022 Long Range Waterfront Plan Amendment — Resolution Adopting Cruise Ship Tourism Policy Objectives
• Juneau Visitor Circulator Study – Final Report 2024

• Airport
• Assembly Committee of the Whole (handles responsibilities formerly handled by the Planning and Policy Committee)
• City Manager’s Office
• Community Development
• Docks & Harbors
• Eaglecrest
• Parks & Recreation
• Planning Commission

Links to Other Organizations Working on Tourism Issues

• Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
• Alaska Travel Industry Association
• JEDC Visitor Products Cluster
• Cruise Lines International Association
• Oceans Blue
• State of Alaska Visitor Information
• The Travel Research & Tourism Association
• US Forest Service: Tongass National Forest
• Travel Juneau

In 1999, City and Borough of Juneau voters passed Proposition 1, assigning a fee of $5 per cruise ship passenger to assist in funding projects that enhance the tourism experience and offset community impacts created by the cruise ship industry. In 2008, the Assembly amended the ordinance to provide for the solicitation to be issued by posting on the CBJ website and disestablished the Marine Passenger Fee Proceeds Committee. CBJ also levees a $3 Port Development Fee and receives a portion of State Commercial Passenger Vessel Excise Tax. The Marine Passenger Fee budget includes revenue from these other fees.

The City Manager annually develops a proposed list of Marine Passenger Fee Proceeds funded projects through requests from the industry, city departments, and individual businesses and citizens. All proposals received for Marine Passenger Fee project requests will be forwarded with the City Manager’s proposed list to the Assembly Finance Committee.