Prince William Sound Sustainable Tourism Project

Reports produced by the Alaska Natural Resource Center about this ecological wonder:

Prince William Sound Tourism Economic Indicators

Special Ecological Sites in Alaska's Eastern Prince William Sound & Copper River Delta

State of the Sound - Prince William Sound, Alaska

Sustainable Economic Development for Prince William Sound Region

Tourism Growth in Prince William Sound "Slow but Steady" According to New Economic Study

Conservation is a noble undertaking. Conservation that also pays the rent is an even better one. Sustainable tourism is precisely this—a way to protect natural resources while providing people with economic opportunity, thus giving incentive to conserve. National Wildlife Federation is working to develop sustainable tourism in Alaska with several innovative projects.

Prince William Sound is one of Alaska's wilderness gems. Rich with abundant sea-life, surrounded by majestic mountains and the Chugach National Forest, and anchored by quaint fishing communities, the Sound is not only worth protecting, it calls out to the adventurer in all of us. Kayakers, sport fishermen, sailors, beach combers, hikers, bikers, skiers, culinary enthusiasts, photographers—you name your passion and you'll find a venue for pursuing it in Prince William Sound. At NWF we recognize the growing importance of tourism in Alaska, and the propensity of the state to embrace all things large in economic development. By promoting sustainable tourism in Prince William Sound we're hoping to give residents there an alternative, a more conservation friendly form of tourism than its corporate counterpart in other areas of the state. We want to ensure not only the sustained environmental health of the Sound, we also want to ensure the sustained cultural and economic health of the communities within it. Involving the Sound's residents in the development of tourism there that fits within these parameters is a critical aspect of this project. Over the past several months we've visited the three largest communities in Prince William Sound to speak with residents there about tourism, ultimately seeking partnerships with all the Sound’s stakeholders.

One aspect of the Prince William Sound sustainable tourism project is a proposed marine trail. This idea has met with widespread approval from hopeful collaborators ranging from the United States Forest Service to local chambers of commerce. The marine trail, once fully developed, will be a way for tourists to link directly into a network of mapped, organized resources such as natural and historic/cultural sites, water taxi services, and suggested camp grounds. Similarly, we're also in the process of facilitating the development of a Prince William Sound Sustainable Tourism Council, a self-governing body of tour operators/providers that will oversee a website used to endorse the benefits of choosing sustainable over the alternative. In the upcoming weeks, carefully selected tour operators will be asked to join what we hope will become a coalition of "green" businesses in the Sound working cooperatively with NWF in our conservation efforts there.

Eventually, most of the businesses on the Sustainable Tourism Council will be certified through Adventure Green Alaska (AGA)—Alaska's, and the nation's, first sustainable tourism label. Over the course of the last six months we've created a draft application of what will be a three-tiered certification program for tourism businesses in Alaska. That draft application will be going out to a sample of interested vendors for testing in a pilot phase this winter. We hope to unveil the finished product at the spring conference of our partner, Alaska Wilderness and Recreation Tourism Association (AWRTA).

Time and time again we've seen that conservation efforts have much greater success when they dovetail with economic success. In Alaska, a land with endless possibilities for natural resource appreciation and also exploitation, sustainable tourism will be the adhesive in this often times precarious relationship. Sustainable tourism gives communities a viable economic base without compromising quality of life or the environment around us that makes living in Alaska (and visiting it) unique and unquestionably wonderful. National Wildlife Federation is proud to be a part of what promises to be the way forward for Alaska.