Are you curious about how you can visit Alaska more responsibly? First off, get off that cruise ship and explore the true local hidden gems and get off-the-beaten-path. Alaska suffers from tourism leakage, where a lot of the tourism revenue isn’t invested back in the local economy, and instead goes to large corporations. However, Alaska has some wonderful boutique and locally owned tour companies and even a small Native-owned cruise line. You’re in for a treat as soon as you create your own itinerary that supports local businesses and diffuses mass-over tourism. Alaska is a weird and wacky place where we collect moose poop and paint it for jewelry (only to sell to gullible tourists) auction off lumbersexuals, wear fishing boots to fancy dinners, drink smoked salmon vodka, put reindeer meat in our bloody marys, stay out all night partying in the summer solstice, survive living in -40 in the winter (yes your nose hairs freeze together, it’s sexy), unique arctic species thrive and The Northern Lights dance for us. As amazing as Alaska is, climate change is sinking villages and harming subsistence living. If you’re going to visit Alaska do it now and see this majestic place to learn about the impact of climate change on the arctic climates. Alaska is the perfect destination for a little bit of odd mixed in with a lot of fantastic eco-tours.
