Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings today announced it is providing $10 million cash support to six Alaska port communities severely impacted by the ongoing cruise voyage suspension, according to a press release.
According to the company, approximately 60% of all tourism in Alaska is generated through cruise, which has been halted for more than a year, continuing to significantly impact families and small businesses reliant on cruise tourism. In addition, as part of the recently announced BuyAlaska and Voyij.com initiative, the company has joined the ‘Shop Local Alaska’ program and is encouraging people to help support Alaska small businesses devastated by the halt in cruising.
“My heart breaks for Alaska and its wonderful people as we face a potential second year of zero cruise operations during the all-important summer tourism season, bringing yet another blow to Alaska’s tourism economy,” said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “Alaska is one of our guests’ most popular cruise destinations and we are doing everything in our power to safely resume operations in the U.S. which will provide much needed relief to the families, communities and small businesses who rely on cruise tourism for their livelihoods.”
“We want to thank Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings for the generous $10 million of support it is providing to our coastal port communities who have been severely affected by the ongoing cruise suspension which is expected to have a devastating $3.3 billion impact to the Alaskan economy,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy of Alaska. “Thousands of small businesses and Alaskans relying on the summer tourism season to make their living cannot afford another cancelled cruise season. We are ready to partner with the cruise lines, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Biden-Harris administration and the Canadian authorities to bring cruising back to Alaska safely this summer.”
The Company’s $10 million cash donation will go directly to the port communities of Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Hoonah, Seward and Sitka to provide much needed humanitarian relief from the significant economic hardship these communities are currently facing from the ongoing cruise suspension.
