Celebrating the 40th anniversary of National Travel and Tourism Week

This week marks the 40th anniversary of National Travel and Tourism Week, which recognizes the travel industry’s essential role in stimulating economic growth, cultivating vibrant communities, creating job opportunities and inspiring new businesses.

The travel industry is intertwined with many other sectors of the economy, and a thriving tourism industry helps fuel growth for the entire community. Nationally, the travel industry generates $2.6 trillion in economic impact and supports nearly 20 million jobs.

It’s easy to see that a tour guide or a local attraction is in the tourism industry and how they benefit from visitors coming to the Mat-Su Valley. But the residual impact tourism plays should not be discounted, as that money that comes into our community from outside churns, and provides opportunities to many businesses typically thought of “outside” the industry.

For example, consider a local greenhouse. You wouldn’t identify them as being in the tourism industry per se. But visitors to the Mat-Su Valley stay at local bed and breakfasts, who in turn invest in beautifying their property by purchasing flowers from the greenhouse. The success of the bed and breakfast owner in turn leads to success for the greenhouse owner.

Another example particularly relevant to the Mat-Su Valley is our local agricultural community. Many restaurants and lodges proudly serve Alaska Grown vegetables and provide farm-to-table dining experiences that visitors desire. Farmers provide the goods needed to give a visitor a positive experience, which in turn leads to future visitation and continues the cycle of economic development.

Tourism isn’t important in only a dollars and cents view, however. It’s about building a sense of community. Infrastructure such as new trails, outdoor parks and visitor centers benefit residents and contribute to the quality of life in the Mat-Su Valley. It’s all part of a cycle that begins with a visit.

Maura Gast, Executive Director of the Irving (Texas) CVB sums up this notion perfectly. “If you build a place where people want to visit, you’ll build a place where people want to live. And, if you build a place where people want to live, you’ll build a place where people have to work. If you build a place

where people want to work, you’ll build a place where business wants to be. It all starts with a visit,” she said.

The Mat-Su Convention & Visitors Bureau plays a role in community building and economic development through the promotion of the borough as a visitor destination. As a shared community value, tourism is not only an important part of our local economy, but essential in building a place where we love to work, live and play.

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