With all the recent rumors and discussion surrounding large corporations wanting to bring more cruise ships to Haines, I want to share a perspective straight from the visitors themselves.
A few weeks ago, while running my vendor table up at Fort Seward, I had the opportunity to talk directly with several tourists. Their opinion was clear: they do not want to see larger ships coming to our small town.
In fact, one visitor told me, “Out of all the towns we stop at, we love that Haines is authentic.” They explicitly mentioned how much they appreciate that we haven’t given in to the cookie-cutter jewelry shops and identical T-shirt stores that line the docks of every other port they visit.
Haines is special precisely because we are different. Let’s keep it that way. Stay authentic, Haines — both for the tourists who love us for who we are, and for the residents who call this place home.
Rhonda Degtoff
Haines, AK