Due to cruise ship cancellations, summer tourism numbers could come in slightly below last year.
Matt Henson, the borough’s marketing and community development coordinator, said that based on the number of cruise ships scheduled, he now expects 21,000 to 23,000 visitors. Last year’s count totaled 23,000.
Before the season started, Wrangell expected close to 30,000 cruise visitors, if all the berths were filled. The canceled stops have cut into that number.
Jeanie Arnold, Nolan Center director, said revenue is down from last year. “The numbers don’t lie,” she said, estimating that gift shop and admission revenues are down 15% to 20%.
The Nolan Center increased its admission fee this summer, from $8 to $12 for non-residents. They also did away with the reduced senior rate.
Arnold said feedback over the rate increases has generally been positive, and most visitors believe the extra $4 is well worth it.
She added that feedback for the museum from visitors is overwhelmingly positive.
Despite the decrease in revenues, Arnold said group tours with companies like Alaska Waters and Experience Wrangell are up slightly from last year.
Though the number of cruise ships visiting this season has decreased slightly, Henson said the ships seem to be pretty full and visits have generally been positive. The Nieuw Amsterdam, the largest cruise ship to call on Wrangell this summer, with a capacity of 2,160 people, was 90% to 95% full when it stopped in May.
Henson also said that despite some community concerns over the passenger load overwhelming downtown, the visit of the large ship was not a problem as some had worried.
Henson said he’s working on things to improve cruise ship visits in the future, like more engaging navigational tools such as maps and signs for passengers as they walk through town.
There are two more large cruise ship stops scheduled this month. The Queen Elizabeth, with a capacity of 2,081 people, is scheduled to visit Wrangell on July 18 and July 29.
Wrangell lost 14 stops this summer when the cruise line American Queen Voyages filed for bankruptcy and canceled all of its Southeast Alaska runs by the 186-passenger Ocean Victory.
The town lost about 2,200 berths when three mid-size cruise ships canceled their Wrangell visits after deciding to try out Klawock, which is promoting itself as a new tourism destination.
And the Norwegian hybrid-power Roald Amundsen canceled one stop in May and one in June, taking about 1,000 visitors out of Wrangell’s total.
Cruise ships provide the majority of summer tourists to Wrangell. Out-of-town visitors arriving by ferry and plane total about 3,000 each summer, according to data compiled for the borough.
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