2010 improves over 2009 season

MAT-SU — This week, the Alaska Travel Industry Association is holding its annual convention in Whitehorse, Canada, for the first time since 1995. The Yukon is a marketing partner with ATIA, targeting the long-haul highway traveler.

On Tuesday, the first day of the convention, ATIA Executive Director Ron Peck reported on the preliminary findings of the 2010 tourism season, and overall, 2010 appears to be better than the 2009 season using certain metrics.

This is good news, but we should be cautiously optimistic. While it’s great that 2010 metrics point to a better season than 2009, the numbers don’t come close to the successful 2008 and 2007 seasons. Those in the tourism industry are hoping the bump from 2009 to 2010 signals an increase in tourism for the future and an eventual return to those pre-2009 levels.

While the final visitation numbers won’t be released by the state of Alaska until December, Peck said ATIA uses certain measuring sticks and traditionally has only been off by less than 2 percent when the final numbers are released. The numbers are only indicative of the April through July time frame, however. Among the good news:

• Highway travel and independent visitation is up around Alaska. This is indicated by increases of between 2 percent and 20 percent in bookings in Denali National Park (including the shuttle services).

• An increase of 2,000 border crossings from Canada.

• Air passengers are up 6 percent.

• Ferry ridership is up 10 percent.

• Bed tax revenue from around the state has increased by an average of 10 percent from 2009.

Two Mat-Su businesses attending the ATIA convention reflected that news as well, as Trisha Costello of Talkeetna Roadhouse and Sharon Mahay of Mahay’s Jet Boat Safaris said their businesses were up a bit in 2010.

When examining how visitors get to Alaska, a big shift can be found. It’s been well documented that cruise lines have pulled out of Alaska waters, and the numbers certainly reflect that for the 2010 season. In 2009, for example, 65 percent of summer visitors to Alaska came via cruise ship. In 2010, that number shrank to 60 percent. Conversely, air and highway visitors rose from 35 percent in 2009 to 40 percent in 2010.

Peck reported that while total visitation numbers have increased, that success wasn’t felt across the entire tourism industry. Like any industry, some sectors improved, while still others felt declines.

These increases, compounded by the increased marketing efforts of ATIA including a $7 million television advertising campaign beginning in the fourth quarter of 2010, give the tourism industry hope that visitation numbers — including visitor spending — will continue to build.

The national economy played a big part in the decline in Alaska tourism in the last two seasons, but ATIA — as well as the Mat-Su CVB — remains committed to promoting Alaska, and the Mat-Su Valley, as a premier destination. Through the highly targeted marketing efforts of ATIA and other Alaska destination marketing organizations such as the Mat-Su CVB, we’re hopeful to see future increases in visitation.

Casey Ressler (casey@alaskavisit.com) is the marketing and communications manager at the Mat-Su CVB.