TOURISM Industry

 OVERVIEW

KPB tourism has emerged into a dynamic sector of the economy. Scenic beauty, a pristine setting, and unique geographic location add to the allure, drawing tourists from around the world. The KPB has it all – oceans, beaches, mountains, glaciers, rivers, lakes, forests, marine and fresh water plant and animal life. Opportunities for visitors vary from sightseeing to backpacking, ocean fishing for halibut or other marine species to freshwater fishing of salmon and trout, beachcombing, bird watching, boating, canoeing, hunting, kayaking, skiing and snow machining, to name a few.

As competition entered the developing industry, both the marketing climate and passenger characteristics changed. Private marketing budgets increased dramatically while government marketing dollars declined. The typical passenger is no longer retired, wanting to experience Alaska vicariously with preplanned schedules. The industry now caters to younger passengers who want to choose activities independently and who actively participate in the outdoor experience. Activities must meet demands of the new type tourist to remain competitive as flight seeing, charter fishing, and float trips have become commonplace. Visits from family and friends will continue, adding to demand for the varied activities.

Over the past twenty-five years, three events had major impacts on KPB tourism. During 1985 the first private, domed railcars were built for the Fairbanks to Denali to Anchorage run. Eventually, those cars reached Seward. During 1985 cruise ships crossed the Gulf of Alaska from the Southeast for the first time, docking in Whittier, and eventually also in Seward. Finally, destination resorts were established. Formerly, cruise lines provided tours with prearranged itineraries and group activities from start to finish.

As popularity of cruise vacations increases, so do efforts to capture the tourist dollar. Cruise ships provide an onboard community where passengers purchase gifts and pay for services that in the past were provided as part of the cost of ticket. In addition, casinos have become the focal point of the cruise with ship construction developed around the casino, making every effort to give the passenger an excuse to spend their cash on board. However, the cruise industry adds to the destination economy by providing one-way cruises in which passengers may choose to tour the region, then find another method of travel for the return trip, or travel in the reverse order.