Governor: State will boost tourism marketing to keep industry’s revival on track

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has included $5 million for tourism marketing in his proposed state budget to be released Wednesday, Dec. 15 that will add to $10.5 million released by the governor in November.

Both appropriations are funded by the federal government but they are administered the state.

In a briefing on Monday Dunleavy said the money will help sustain marketing programs aimed mainly at independent travelers.

The state’s traditional tourism industry collapsed In 2020 when major cruise lines cancelled Alaska voyages amid the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a short cruise season in 2021 that brought some visitors north but the season was largely salvaged by a surge of independent tourists that resulted partly from a $5 million targeted marketing effort managed by the Alaska Travel Industry Association, or ATIA early in 2020.

ATIA is a statewide association of tourism-related Alaska businesses that engages mainly in marketing.

“Last summer, visitors began returning after ATIA launched a national marketing campaign that engaged travelers to visit in the COVID-19 safe spaces of vast Alaska,” Dunleavy said in a statement.

“In many parts of the state we saw more travelers moving through our airports, staying in hotels and bed and breakfasts, fishing and staying in faciliyties at state parks,” the governor said.

With continues momentum the summer 2022 visitor outlook has improved considerably, although it’s not certain to meet the pre-pandemic record visitor year of 2019..

Dunleavy also announced a $1 million increase In the state parks budget. Use of state parks and campgrounds mostly by Alaskans increased by 33 percent from 2019 to 2020 as outdoor recreation boomed during the pandemic.

Use of state park facilities saw another 7 percent increase from 2020 to 2021, according to information provided by the governor’s office.