SPECTRUM: All signs point to a record-breaking tourist season

The Mat-Su Valley is roughly 100 miles from Whittier, the closest cruise ship port, and 175 miles from Seward, another cruise port. Despite those distances, the cruise industry plays a vital role in the Mat-Su tourism industry, and forecasts from the cruise industry indicate 2018 will be a record-breaking year for visitation.

The Cruise Lines International Association’s Alaska organization (CLIA Alaska) projects a 7-percent increase in overall Alaska cruise passengers for 2018, with 1,134,219 total passengers. There will be 34 ships operating in Alaska, with 518 separate voyages. For those of us in Southcentral Alaska, however, the most important number is 386,088 – that’s how many passengers CLIA Alaska projects will travel on Cross Gulf of Alaska cruises.

There are two types of Alaska cruises – an Inside Passage cruise that typically starts in Seattle or Vancouver and returns to the same port; and a cross Gulf of Alaska cruise that visits the Inside Passage and then crosses the gulf (it either starts or ends in Seattle/Vancouver and an Alaska port). Those cross-Gulf passengers are the ones who take a pre- or post-cruise land tour, and they are the visitors who come to the Mat-Su Valley.

Those taking a pre- or post-cruise land tour often spend between five and seven days on tours sold directly from the cruise lines, on packaged tours with other operators or on their own. Princess, for example, has prepackaged tours that include stops at McKinley Wilderness Princess Lodge, and those passengers staying there often visit Talkeetna and take flightseeing trips, jet boat excursions, guided hiking trips, etc. They also fill up gift shops and restaurants throughout the summer, spending money that ultimately cycles through our community. Independent tour operators such as Salmon Berry Tours, All Alaska Tours, Alaska Adventure Unlimited and Alaska Travel Connections also offer preformed packages that customized, including numerous Mat-Su Valley stops in their itineraries.

According to the Alaska Visitor Statistics Program (AVSP), 31 percent of cross-Gulf cruise passengers spent time on their own before or after a cruise package. Those independent cruisers are vitally important to the Mat-Su tourism industry, and are the people we want to reach with our marketing efforts. That accounts for 120,000 potential visitors to the Valley (based on 2018 projections), which is significant. Many of those visitors want a Denali experience, and they can get that in the Susitna Valley. Or they want a glacier experience along the Glenn Highway National Scenic Byway. Because of the geographic positioning and variety of options, the Mat-Su Valley is a prime destination for independent cruisers.

An increase in cross Gulf of Alaska cruisers means there will be increased demand for lodging, activities and attractions in the Valley. This is great news, as those dollars spent by cruise passengers include revenue for not only local businesses, but they also contribute to sales taxes and bed taxes for our local communities.

The Mat-Su Valley – and all of Alaska – benefits from the marketing reach of the cruise companies as well. While they are obviously marketing their voyages specifically, they use images and messaging that benefits the entire Alaska tourism industry.

While you won’t see a cruise ship anchored up in the Knik River any time soon, the importance of the cruise industry should not be underestimated – it has a major impact on the Mat-Su Valley tourism industry.

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