Editing Inside Passage (section)

==Tourism==
The Inside Passage is a popular tourism destination. The coastal mountain ranges and islands offer wildlife viewing and opportunities for boating, fishing, kayaking, camping and hiking. Wildlife viewing in the region ranges from birding to whale watching and bear viewing. Designated bear viewing is available at Anan Creek near Wrangell and at Pack Creek Bear Sanctuary on Admiralty Island near Juneau.

The most popular way to explore the Inside Passage during summer is by cruise ship. Over 2 million people take cruises each year in this region, impacting the local economy significantly. Because there are few restrictions on ship size, all of the large main line cruise ships offer Inside Passage itineraries. Some of the major players include Norwegian, Disney, Princess, Celebrity Cunard, etc. Most of these cruises offer round-trips from either Vancouver or Seattle. Cruise ship travel in 2020 was cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic|Coronavirus Pandemic]] and uncertainty continued through February 2022 when Canada had kept cruise ships banned.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Harbormaster preparing for cruise ship season, how big unknown|url=https://www.kinyradio.com/news/news-of-the-north/harbormaster-preparing-for-cruise-ship-season-how-big-unknown/|access-date=2021-01-28|website=KINY|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-02-04|title=Canada bans cruise ships for another year, likely halting most of Alaska's 2021 tourism season|url=https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2021/02/04/canada-bans-cruise-ships-until-2022-likely-halting-most-of-alaskas-tourist-season/|access-date=2021-02-05|website=Anchorage Daily News|language=en-US}}</ref>  

Although a smaller industry, there are also a handful of expedition cruises that explore the Inside Passage. These ships tend to be smaller than main line cruises and focus more on wildlife watching. National Geographic operate several expedition boats here.