| Alaska's sleepy fishing villages are being overwhelmed by hordes of cruise ship tourists. The sheer size of the invasion is creating unease amongst locals. The Alaskan town of Skagway all but died when the gold rush ended 100 years ago. "Unemployment was over 55%, the railroad had closed down and people were just down on their luck," recalls resident Buckwheat Donoghue. But today things are very different. The town has a new lease of life and has been revived by tourism. In summer, tourists out number residents here by nine to one. While locals welcome the tourist dollars, there's growing concern about the environmental pollution they bring. "The ships generate thousands of gallons of waste and tonnes of garbage," complains environmentalist Gershon Cohen. Others fear the character of their home towns are being destroyed. Now there are calls for a strict limit to be imposed on cruise ships. SBS |
