Anchorage Daily News

More came by air. Fewer by car or RV.

Click to enlarge

Story tools

Comments (0)

E-mail a friend

Print

Share on Facebook

Digg this

Seed Newsvine

Send link via AIM

Follow on Twitter

Font size : A | A | A

And at the end of Alaska's tourist season it looks like the state hosted about 1.7 million visitors this year, roughly the same number as last year.

That's the report from Ron Peck, president of the Alaska Travel Industry Association.

"Frankly, we were relieved that the number was flat," Peck said. The Alaska industry markets itself mostly to the Lower 48, and the soft economy there brought worries that the tourist traffic could fall off.

Alaska is considered a "long-haul destination," one that takes more planning time, vacation time and cost than a weekend getaway to the nearest big city, Peck said. Those are the kinds of trips that tend to get canceled when Americans tighten their spending.

Peck thinks Alaska visitor traffic didn't fall because of its strong brand -- a place of mountains, glaciers and wildlife in true wilderness. The generic brochures for many other destinations -- what he called Generica America -- look alike: theme park, beach, sporting activity.

Within Alaska's overall flat number of visitors, Peck did note some movement:

• The number of foreign visitors grew 6 to 8 percent, thanks to the falling value of the dollar relative to foreign currencies. Peck estimates that more than one out of 20 visitors is from a foreign country.

• Alaska Highway traffic was down. Peck estimated 60,000 visitors arrived via highway this summer, compared with 75,000 last year. The high cost of fuel seems to account for the drop, he said.

• Revenue from car rentals at Anchorage's international airport will grow to an estimated $34.2 million this year, up 6 percent. Peck thinks that reflects a slight increase in independent travel to Alaska.

Cruise ships remain the foundation of Alaska's visitor industry, carrying three out of every five tourists. In all, Peck estimates the cruise industry served 1.03 million visitors this year, the same as last year.

Besides Alaska's strong brand and a favorable foreign-currency exchange rate, other pluses for the future include what Peck called the "Palin Effect." Gov. Sarah Palin has demonstrated a passion for Alaska and has made more Outsiders interested in the state during her vice presidential run, he said.

A key indicator that's worrisome is the further weakening of the Lower 48 economy and how that might cause people to cut their travel budgets. Also, he said, the cruise industry's growth appears to have stopped for now.

ADVERTISEMENT