Tourists overrun cities and towns worldwide

I once heard a man of Irish descent exclaim after his visit to Ireland, "The beer was warm!"

To travel and expect everywhere else to be like America makes no sense. Why not stay home?

And for those working in the tourism industry all over the world, the masses of the traveling public have become a nightmare.

'Please stay home'

Last year, Santorini, Greece, became the most over-touristed destination in Europe with 3.5 million visitors jammed into an island of 15,500.

Venice, Italy, instituted a 5 Euro entrance fee ($5.60), much like Alaska's cruise ship head tax.

Amsterdam, one of the most visited cities in Europe, raised its visitor tax, limited cruise ships docking in the city center, and will not allow any new hotels. It's also restricted marijuana smoking in public.

Many other cities are cracking down on the visitor numbers.

Juneau tries to limit cruise ships

This October, in response to ever-growing numbers of tourists crowding the city in the summer, residents voted on a Saturday ban on cruise ships so they could take a breath and access downtown without crowds.

It failed.

The proposition on the ballot, Ship-Free Saturday, was defeated by 2,379 votes, or 4,196 to 6,575.

In Skagway, 2023 numbers hit an all-time high of over 1.7 million people. This in a town four streets wide and 23 streets long and with a population of 1,222. Luckily, the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway and tour buses take many out of town.

But visitors, while pesky, do contribute mightily to the state's economy.

For 2024, the total visitor volume of 2.65 million represents a 20 percent increase from the pre-COVID total of 2.21 million in summer 2019.

The increase is largely attributable to a 29 percent growth in cruise passenger volume. Air visitors grew by 8 percent while highway/ferry visitors fell by 15 percent over the same time period.

The share of cruise passengers grew from 60 to 65 percent, while the share of air visitors fell from 36 percent to 32 percent, and the share of highway/ferry visitors fell from 4 percent to 3 percent.

Alaska's visitor industry contributes more than $126 million in state revenues and $88 million in municipal revenues, according to the Resource Development Council of Alaska.

How not to be a rude American

Like the man who visited Ireland, it would serve you well to learn about your destination.

For instance, if you travel with a Road Scholar tour, they list a number of books to read to familiarize you with the places' history, culture and traditions. If not, your librarian would have suggestions or just use Google to find the information.

Learn a few words to grease your way to a better experience.

And granted, some customs might not be to your liking, like in Greece, where a line at a store means nothing. Versus England, where a queue is inviolate. You'll be shunned if you jump it.

Hand gestures are also important. The V sign is a hand gesture where the index and middle fingers are raised and parted to make a V shape while the other fingers are clenched. It was used as a victory sign in World War II in Britain. But when displayed with the palm inward toward the person whose hand it is, it becomes an offensive gesture like showing the middle finger.

For Alaskans who vacation in Hawaii, it really breaks the ice to commiserate with people in a state that has year-round tourism. They really appreciate that, as they will you.