Alaska cruising began in the late 1800's

TBMP History

Since 1997, Tourism Best Management Practices (TBMP) has been helping to minimize the impacts of tourism by addressing both resident and industry concerns while also enhancing our visitors' experiences in Juneau.  The program works through the cooperation of Juneau tour operators, cruise lines, transportation providers, merchants, hospitality businesses, tour brokers, the Tongass National Forest - Juneau Ranger District, and the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ).

The TBMP program has grown in scope since its inception, and its success has drawn the attention of national and international port cities which are adopting the program and adapting it to their needs, including coastal communities in Alaska and Maine. The program has also generated interest in communities in Norway, Sweden, and American Samoa.

Signing on to TBMP expresses our member operators' support of the program's goals and their commitment to protect the very qualities that make Juneau a great place to live and to visit.

TBMP -- How it works

The TBMP program is comprised of three main groups:  Juneau's visitor industry, Juneau's residents, and the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ).

To accomplish the goals of the program, TBMP has two avenues of communication:  the guidelines and the hotline. 

• The guidelines are a list of best practices for each segment of Juneau's visitor industry, including tour operations such as flightseeing and whale watching, cruise lines, and transportation providers such as tour buses and shuttles. Guidelines are reviewed and published annually in the spring. 
• The hotline (phone, email, web form) is used by residents to submit concerns, complaints, and compliments to Juneau's tour operators.  When a concern/complaint/compliment is submitted, it is forwarded directly to the tour operator(s) involved in the issue. The operator then responds directly to the submitter with any action that can be taken to mitigate the concern.

Membership in TBMP is voluntary, and member tour operators and their employees agree to abide by the program's guidelines.  By following the established guidelines, operators help mitigate local impacts.

CBJ leadership receives monthly hotline reports as well as a monthly tally of concerns, as do TBMP members.  These are public documents.