Anchorage Daily News

WASILLA -- The summer so far is generally holding steady for tourist-dependent businesses in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, thanks at least in part to a pulse of European travelers drawn by the weak U.S. dollar.

But several operators say they're worried about next year unless the national economy turns around soon.

Talkeetna -- a nexus of mountain climbers, cruise ship passengers and independent travelers -- represents the most tourism-dependent part of the borough.

Monday morning at the Talkeetna Roadhouse, owner Trisha Costello served up her famous cinnamon rolls and other scratch-baked goodies to a table full of Italian travelers.

Costello said she's seeing a lot of Europeans, who get to Alaska fast with cross-polar flights, and say they find things here cheaper than at home.

Those foreign visitors may be her salvation, she said, because next year is looking like a big question mark.

"How do you budget for gas if it goes up every other day?" Costello said. "I also think the airline industry is going to be our canary in the pit. If they don't stay flying at reasonable rates and convenience, people will not fly. In Alaska, you have got to fly."

High fuel prices are taking a toll on domestic travelers, with fewer drivers making the long trip to Alaska and airline fares increasing for folks who fly.

Meanwhile, some businesses report, questions about the future, amid fragile financial markets and the credit crunch, are generally giving travelers pause.

Oh yes, and it's been a little rainy lately.

One big number came in already: Visitors to Denali National Park are down 13 percent this summer. The decline reportedly reflects a drop in independent travelers more than cruise ship passengers.

But it is only July, so any attempt to look at the season so far in the Mat-Su is anecdotal.

Tim Cook's Alaska ATV Adventures is based in Eagle River, but he takes clients on trips around the state, including custom four-wheeling tours out of Eureka up the Glenn Highway.

Cook said June was crazy, but this week things were slow. He's got nothing on the calendar for September, "which is weird."

SURCHARGE SNIPING

It's not rampant, but Cook said he's hearing some complaints. He talked with clients who grumbled about unexpected fuel surcharges -- $45 a day for a five-day fishing trip -- when they thought the package they bought included all costs.

Others said if they hadn't paid deposits on trips this summer, they probably wouldn't have come.

The people suffering, Cook said, are people making a living off the extra spending money tourists might throw around: artists, or college students up for a summer.

"People just aren't tipping," he said. "I think maybe subconsciously they're worried."

Carol Smith owns Lake Lucille B&B in Wasilla. Her occupancy numbers look great, the best she's seen since opening in 1999, Smith said. She credits her hot breakfasts -- but also affordable rates.

Smith said she decided to keep her rates the same -- they start at $79 a night -- rather than raising them, as trends dictate. Her clientele numbers fell last year after a $10 increase.

"I went back to my old ways: good breakfast, clean rooms, best prices in town," she said. "Sunday night I had someone call from Fairbanks saying, 'I want to come home.' That was just cute."

At the Glacier View Park at Mile 102 along the Glenn Highway, visitor numbers seem down a little, though it's early to tell.

July is the peak visitor month, said Kelly Stevenson, who manages the place with her family, but Europeans tend to visit in August and into September.

Stevenson said she's seeing the opposite trend as Cook: Though visitor numbers may be down slightly, people who make the trip to see the Matanuska Glacier up close are buying stuff in the gift store.

Fewer people appear to be visiting Independence Mine State Historical Park, though hard data won't be available until next year, said Hatcher Pass area ranger Kymberly Miller.

Mother Nature is probably to blame as much as anything.

"Definitely when it rains every day, it cuts down on the amount of tourists," Miller said.

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