Dear Capitolisters,
A minor travel industry scandal to the extent such things exist erupted last week when the Canadian government extended its pandemic‐related moratorium on foreign port arrivals, thus imperiling U.S. cruises to not only coastal Canada (which is delightful) but also Alaska. This prompted immediate outrage from Alaska’s congressional delegation, given the numerous jobs at stake in tourism‐reliant places along the Alaskan coast. Tellingly unmentioned by the congresscritters, however, was
why cruises run by American companies, primarily serving Americans, and both starting
and ending at American ports even need to stop in Canada in the first place. The reason: Laws regulating “cabotage” a fun word meaning “the right to operate sea, air, or other transport services within a particular territory” dramatically restrict the transport of goods and people between domestic ports. This causes all sorts of problems, which Alaska’s senators and