Tourism industry supports MSCVB

PALMER — The Mat-Su Borough Assembly held three special meetings in April to hear public testimony on the proposed budget before adoption later in May. After three budget hearings occurred on April 23, April 28 and April 30, the Assembly will have nearly a month between budget public hearings at their next special meeting on May 26 and the last meeting for possible budget adoption on May 28. The Assembly canceled their May 7 and May 12 special budget public hearings to allow for more time to determine what funding may be handed down from the state from COVID-19 relief monies distributed by the Federal Government.

“People are always going to want to travel,” said Meier Lake Resort operator Steve Solari. “Having our destination fresh on their minds is going to be very important.”

With the loss of expected tourism revenue that provides an influx of funds to the Mat-Su economy during the summer tourism months, the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau will likely not receive significant funding from the bed tax that supplies operational funds. Additionally, MSCVB President Bonnie Quill provided a harrowing update at the Borough’s COVID-19 press conference early in April.

“We immediately created a crisis plan and shifted our efforts and messaging to remain home stay safe and we will be ready and waiting for visitors when the time is right,” said Quill.

During the April budget meetings, members of the tourism industry from all across the Valley called in to provide testimony in favor of funding for the MSCVB and lauded the visitor’s guide publication that helps tourists select how to travel and where to spend their money while in the Valley.

“Keeping the team in tact moving forward is going to be vital in helping that small tourism business succeed in years to come,” said Roberta Warner. “But we will be the first back because we are inspiring and we are innovative and we look forward to your continued support.”

Dozens of members of the tourism industry called in during the budget public hearings to express their support for their gratitude to the MSCVB for their work in destination advertising to tourists.

“We ended last summer season with a record number of visitors to the Mat-Su Borough and in January tourism businesses were reporting a 10 percent increase in bookings for the summer of 2020,” said Quill. “Since early March, the only phone calls tour operators and lodging owners are getting are cancelations.”

Mat-Su Borough Mayor told the Assembly during each budget public hearing and the Borough’s COVID-19 press conferences that he would like to see the Assembly grant the MSCVB $1 million to revamp the tourism industry in the Valley for the future. Halter detailed the plight of his own tourism business that was thriving prior to the start of the Iditarod and had groups scheduled to break records this summer, all of which have since canceled. Many members of the tourism industry feared greater consequences past 2020 if businesses are unable to operate during the summer months.

“Given the current situation, creating jobs and attracting visitor dollars to the Valley can help get us back to the thriving economy and be a leading industry for the state of Alaska,” said Suzanne Rust.

Despite cancelations from all major cruise ship companies and a lack of outside visitors to the state, Quill feels that the tourism industry that remains can provide services throughout the rest of the season as low numbers of positive cases continue.

“I am confident that we will have a strong second half to our summer at this time based on our operators optimism and bookings that still remain,” said Quill.