Preliminary Research Findings From a Study of the Sociocultural Effects of Tourism in Haines, Alaska

Cerveny, Lee K. 2004. Preliminary research findings from a study of the sociocultural effects of tourism in Haines, Alaska. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-612. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 144 p. This report examines the growth and development of the tourism industry in Haines, Alaska, and its effects on community life and land use. It also describes the development of cruise-based tourism and its relation to shifts in local social and economic structures and patterns of land use, especially local recreation use trends. A multisited ethnographic approach was used featuring participant observation and in-depth interviews with local residents, cruise line industry personnel, and visitors to southeast Alaska. Results show that tourism brings both positive and negative changes to Alaska communities. Data from this report can assist Forest Service planners to identify factors involved in the relation between tourism growth and community well-being. It also may assist small southeast Alaska communities in decisionmaking related to tourism development.