Canada has extended its ban on cruise ships until February 2022, an act that is likely to deter large cruise ships from visiting Alaska this year, just as they did in 2020.
Transport Canada announced the expansion on Thursday morning, saying that “cruise ships in Canadian waters pose a risk to our healthcare systems” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canada has banned cruise ships with more than 100 passengers since spring 2020, and the ban would expire at the end of February this year.
Most major cruise ships visiting Alaska are registered overseas. U.S. federal law prohibits foreign registered ships from sailing between two U.S. ports unless they stop in between at a foreign port. To comply with this rule, large cruise ships start sailing to Alaska, either traveling in Canada or stopping in Canada en route.
Two years ago, 1.3 million passengers of the cruise ship visited Southeast Alaska, making up the bulk of the tourists in the state. Many of the tourists left for excursions to Anchorage, Denali National Park and Fairbanks.
Last year, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and Canadian restrictions, only 48 passengers on the cruise ship visited Southeast Alaska, according to statistics from Rain Coast Data, a Juneau firm.
This article is under development and will be updated. Go back for more information.