Tourism is the fastest growing industry in Southeast Alaska. It supports hundreds of businesses, and is the only industry able to boast steady annual increases in employment. The number of pleasure-related visitors to Southeast Alaska rises every year.  Southeast Alaska attracted 1.2 million visitors in the summer of 2006.  Tourism depends on the region’s ability to offer a vast, awe-inspiring, untamed land and wildlife for visitors to enjoy. With greatly increasing numbers of tourists, Southeast Alaskans are striving to find a balance between a healthy visitor industry and maintaining a peaceful and unique way of life for residents.