Plan now for visiting friends and family this summer

Story by Bonnie Quill, photos by Frank Flavin -- MSCVB

A large segment of visitors to Alaska are friends and relatives of residents. Many people will play host and guide to someone from Outside this summer, and there are a few pointers to help save some time and money booking tours and hotel rooms.

If the airline tickets aren't purchased yet, persuade your visitors to come in the "shoulder" season.

This is defined as the six weeks prior to or after the busiest summer travel period of mid-June to mid-August.

Typically, most accommodations and tours are priced at peak rates during the "high" season, so scheduling your visit to Denali National Park the last week of May instead of mid-July will save you a bundle and there will be less crowds. Nobody can guarantee better weather, but statistics show there is less precipitation during this time too. And, it's king salmon fishing season, which is tough to beat.

These are all good reasons to share with visitors and friends before they set their vacation schedule.

Make your reservations now. Visitors to Alaska prepare much further in advance than most other vacation destinations. Collect visitor guides and brochures, research on the Internet and stop by your local travel agency to become familiar with the different options you have in preparing your itinerary.

You can call the Mat-Su Convention & Visitors Bureau at 746-5000 and request a summer visitor guide be mailed to your home, or visit the Web site www.alaskavisit.com to begin your planning.

Attend the Mat-Su Convention & Visitors Bureau travel auction on April 13 at Evangelo's in Wasilla.

This annual fund-raising event is a great source of Alaska travel bargains. Visitor industry businesses donate tours and hotel rooms that auctiongoers bid on. Combined, the silent and live auction has more than 200 items to choose from. This year's program has Alaska Railroad tickets, Kenai Fjords tours, fishing charters, Alaska State Parks campground pass, many overnight packages and flightseeing tours. During the auction people also have the opportunity to taste many fine wines provided by local distributors.

Don't miss this chance to purchase great Alaska vacation components at very discounted prices. Tickets are available from the Mat-Su Convention & Visitors Bureau and at CARRS TIX.

Use your home in the Mat-Su Valley as base camp. We are lucky to live in a central location close to many of Alaska's best attractions. Spend a day exploring Hatcher Pass, hiking and visiting Independence Mine Historical Park. Spend another day trekking on the Matanuska Glacier and experiencing a thrilling whitewater raft trip with Nova. And, plan a day visiting Talkeetna where your guests will be impressed with the view of Mount McKinley either from a jet boat or a flightseeing tour.

Remember to always ask if a business offers an Alaska discount. When you are phoning for advance reservations let the agent know you are a resident. Many businesses provide discounts, especially in the "shoulder" season, but don't immediately offer it to you because they don't know you are calling from within the state.

And finally, a great source of Alaska vacation discounts is in the Great Alaska Toursaver, a booklet of discount coupons, with more than 100 two-for-one offers, with a total value of more than $17,000.

The Toursaver is available at all Carrs stores for $99.95, or you can view the lists of discounts and order online at TourSaver.com.

Good luck in being a tour guide this summer.

The key is to start your research and planning now, so when your visitors arrive you can relax and enjoy your own Alaskan vacation.