State releases 2011 summer visitor numbers

Summer visitors to Alaska in 2011 spent more than $1.5 billion in lodging, tours, retail and other out-of-pocket purchases, according to the recently released Alaska Visitor Statistics Program (AVSP) Summer 2011 Report. That’s big business for Alaska.

The AVSP is an important tool to gauge the number of visitors, their spending patterns and more. It was completed last in 2006. The Department of Commerce Community and Economic Development commissions the statewide survey of visitors while they are in Alaska. This program is important to tourism marketing organizations like the Alaska Travel Industry Association and local convention and visitors bureaus because it shows who our visitors are, where they originate, how they get to Alaska and much more. That information ultimately helps us shape our marketing message to attract future visitors.

The average age of Alaska’s visitors is 50.7 years old, and three quarters of visitors don’t have children at home. Their annual household income is about $107,000. This shows that our visitors tend to be more mature with more disposable income, which helps guide where the state spends its marketing dollars. Using these statistics allows the state and local convention and visitor bureaus to efficiently use marketing dollars to capture the most return on investment.

In 2011, that return on investment was $1.5 billion, representing not only an important part of Alaska’s economy, but a big part of the Valley’s economy.

Visitors spent an average of $941 each on tours and activities, lodging, gifts and souvenirs and other items. Equally important is the sales tax revenue and bed tax revenue they generated for communities throughout Alaska, including the Mat-Su Valley.

The report dives into a seemingly endless amount of statistics, all of which are important, but one number stands out that Alaskans can be particularly proud of — 98 percent of all visitors indicated they were satisfied or very satisfied with their Alaska experiences — a testament to not only the quality of tourism businesses, but also the attitudes of local Alaskans these visitors encounter along their travels.

With 98 percent of visitors leaving Alaska satisfied, or more than satisfied, you can bet they’ll tell their friends about their experiences, which helps attract future visitors. Tourism is a renewable resource that will pay dividends for years to come.

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