Numbers provide optimism for industry

Tourism numbers statewide indicate a small increase from last year, which is an encouraging sign for the industry as it moves forward for next summer’s busy season.

That was the message from the McDowell Group at last month’s Alaska Travel Industry Association state convention in Juneau. The McDowell Group released preliminary numbers of the Alaska Visitor Statistics Program, which uses a number of metrics to measure the tourism industry.

Official numbers won’t be released until mid-winter, but early indications are that 2011 was modestly better than 2010, but only by about .2 percent.

However, given the country’s economic condition, this is seen as a positive.

What is particularly encouraging for the Mat-Su is that the number of visitors entering Alaska by air jumped — and these visitors are most likely visiting our area. The number rose from 572,500 in 2010 to 593,400 in 2011, offsetting an 8,000-passenger decrease in cruise ship travelers.

The study also found that the number of international visitors increased significantly. Since 2008, there has been an 18 percent increase among international visitors (entering Alaska via airlines). Previous studies have also shown that international visitors tend to stay longer than domestic visitors, and spend more money per day on average.

Locally, the Mat-Su Valley saw a 4.8 percent growth in the bed tax revenue for the fiscal year (July 2010-June 2011). Other positive indicators that the local tourism industry is increasing included a 4 percent increase in nonresident fishing license sales, an 8 percent increase for second-quarter bed tax revenue in Anchorage and an 8 percent increase in vehicle and RV rental tax collections in Anchorage.

Numbers alone can’t tell an entire story, however. In surveying businesses for the Alaska Visitor Statistic Program report, the McDowell Group included comments from owners.

“Bargain shoppers weren’t as prevalent,” one business owner said. “We had more high-end customers,” another indicated. Other comments point to more international guests, more “young” visitors and a greater response to Alaska media exposure.

When taken together, those personal comments and hard statistics indicate the industry is turning around following a big downturn in 2009, which coincided with the national recession.

While the industry isn’t back to its peak numbers attained in 2008, tourism appears to be headed in a positive direction, both on local and statewide levels. Next year’s cruise ship deployment will bring an increase of 40,000 passengers across the Gulf of Alaska, which is encouraging because it affords those cruisers the opportunity to add a pre- or post-cruise land package that includes the Mat-Su Valley.

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