Inside Alaska industry.

TOURISM

They just keep coming! Developments in the state's tourism industry reflect continued growth in visitor trends:

* Princess Tours is putting the finishing touches on its new hotel in Fairbanks, slated to open in June. The $12.5 million Fairbanks Princess Hotel, with 200 rooms and open year round, is located on the banks of the Chena River. The company expects a flood of business.

* Alaska Sightseeing/Cruise West has added another vessel to its fleet of small tour ships plying the inland seas of southeast Alaska. The 101-passenger Spirit of '98 will offer packages featuring seven-day, one-way voyages and return by air originating in both Juneau and Seattle.

The company now owns six ships, with the latest addition being the largest. Voyages highlight many of the natural attractions of Southeast, including Misty Fjords National Monument, LeConte Glacier, Tracy Fjords, Endicott Arm Fjord, as well as visits to Ketchikan, Petersburg and Sitka.

Company officials say they have been able to add a new ship each year for the last five years, thanks to large demand in the niche for up-close, scenic cruising, as opposed to cruises which focus on shipboard activities.

* The Alaska Marine Highway, now 30 years old, is offering discount bookings for 1993. Throughout the coming year, 1991 prices will be in effect. In addition, every 100th passenger will receive a 30 percent discount on passenger, vehicle and cabin bookings. The ferry system, which operates eight ships serving 32 communities, is also planning several celebrations.

MINING

In a move calculated to slow development of the Windy Craggy copper mine in British Columbia near the Alaska border, Glacier Bay National Park has been listed as a "world heritage site" meriting special attention by a United Nations agency.

Park Superintendent Marvin Jensen nominated the site, which was approved by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in December.

Jensen is concerned about the impact of the mine on rivers flowing through the park. Since Canada is a signer to the world heritage convention, it is theoretically obliged to avoid damage to such sites. As Jensen sees it, Geddes Resources Ltd. will have a hard time avoiding acid rock drainage.

"If the mine is going ahead, we wanted whatever protection is available to us. To some extent, I was sticking my neck out. It was not easy getting it through the last administration," says Jensen.

Jensen says the international designation was not an original idea with him. A similar move was made with a coal mine project developed near the boundaries of Glacier National Park, which straddles the U.S.-Canadian border. The coal mine shut down.

More mining news nuggets:

* It may not be a pretty sight before it's over. Echo Bay Mines Ltd. has...