Group tours holding strong

Recently, I returned from the American Bus Association Marketplace and National Tour Association Travel Exchange national conventions, where I had approximately 40 prescheduled appointments with tour operators who sell packages to Alaska. Those discussions gave me an optimistic outlook for this important segment of the local tourism industry as we head into 2015’s busy season.

Without hesitation, the operators said that Alaska is selling very well, and they all were impressed with their numbers of clients booking trips here. That’s great news, as group tours make up a big part of our visitor numbers. Planning a trip to Alaska can be intimidating for potential visitors, so many opt for a packaged group tour that includes hotel stays, transportation and activities.

They cited a number of reasons, including marketing efforts by the state of Alaska to raise awareness, the beautiful scenery portrayed in the numerous reality shows based in Alaska, a steady economy and affordable airfare.

Two trends mentioned by several tour operators we met with are also worth noting. Several operators said they have noticed during the last few years, the age of their clients wanting to visit Alaska has gotten younger. Typically, the Alaska visitor is older, with no children at home, and at an above-average income level. That is still holding true according to state statistics, but based on the information provided by tour operators, that could be changing in the near future. Tour operators said they’ve noticed that their clients “don’t want to wait until retirement to visit Alaska.”

The second trend I noticed is that many of these operators are being asked for tours that don’t include cruises. A large amount of group tours to Alaska typically include a 7-day cruise, with a 7- to 10-day land package added on either pre- or post-cruise, which includes the Railbelt from Anchorage to Fairbanks. Despite not being near a port of call, cruise traffic is very important to the Mat-Su tourism industry based on these tour offerings, and will continue to be extremely important in the years to come. Growing that land-only option is just as important, however.

Operators said that they are being asked more and more about land-only packages that feature activities and attractions that are “off the beaten path” or “not the usual tour package.” Locally, there are lots of opportunities to meet this demand with smaller, more personal experiences that enhance the visitors’ overall trip.

Group tours are important and bring a lot of people through the Mat-Su Valley and into our hotels, attractions and activities. While the cruisers make up a healthy amount of these visitors, there has been an increase in demand for unique experiences visitors may not get otherwise.

Casey Ressler (casey@alaskavisit.com) is the marketing and communications manager at the Mat-Su Convention & Visitors Bureau.