The communitys main sources of incomelogging and fishingwere failing and locals were leaving for opportunities elsewhere.

Now, the resulting port known asIcy Strait Pointhas come of age.

A 1912 former salmon cannery acts as Icy Strait Points hub with a museum and Alaskan-owned retail shops.

Three photos showing surf, trees, and sky with the Travel + Leisure Global Vision Awards banner

Locals guide more than 20 shore excursions, including coastal bear viewing, whale watching and cultural tours.

Development decisions applied triple-bottom-line standards that balanced profit alongside the needs of the environment and its people.

Sustainability isnt just reducing emissions; its about sustaining the community, says Dick.

Pilot Teara Fraser inside a plane

A trio of watches, one each with a black, pink, and blue band, on aqua colored tiles

A woman holds a fishing net for recycling

A red and white plane on an ice field in Antarctica

A cabin in the Dutch forest, with a woman sitting on the deck

Aerial view of a guest resort in Sao Tome and Principe

An aerial view of a cruise port destination in Alaska

A group of people birdwatching on a raised platform

White tourist domes in the Antarctic landscape

A smiling pilot named Teara Fraser stands behind a wing of her plane

An aerial view of a cruise port destination in Alaska

An aerial view of Icy Strait Point, the first private cruise destination on Alaska’s Inside Passage.Credit:Courtesy of Icy Strait Point

A gondola on a cable system in Alaska

The Icy Strait Point gondola system ferries cruise passengers around the port and to the top of a nearby mountain for panoramic views.Courtesy of Icy Strait Point

A man carves a traditional Alaskan totem

A carving demonstration at Icy Strait Point.Courtesy of Icy Strait Point