Alaska tourism up 6% in summer 2007
06.11.2007, 08:33
The number of visitors to Alaska grew steadily in the summer of 2007, bringing $1.8 billion to the state, according to travel industry figures.
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The tourist season brought about 1.7 million visitors, up from 1.6 million in 2006 for a 6 percent increase, the Alaska Travel Industry Association said.
Nearly 1 million cruise ship passengers disembarked at Juneau, for an increase of about 4 percent over the summer of 2006. About 44,000 visitors arrived in Juneau by ferry, a 13 percent jump over the 39,000 in 2006, according to the Juneau Convention and Visitors Bureau. About 74,000 visitors came by plane, an increase of 4 percent over 2006.
Cruise passengers spent $186 million for tours, attractions, food, shopping and other services in town, according to estimates by the visitors.
Summer business was good for Blue Bergmann, owner of the Alaskan Fudge Co. on Franklin Street.
"This is a tourist business. We make our money in the summer," said Bergmann, who keeps his business open year-round.
However, Cori Tocco, manager of The Jewel Box, said the store did not have as good a summer as 2006.
"The passenger count is up but the money isn't," Tocco said. "It's a totally different demographic than it used to be. Some people just save everything they can to get here. And they pay for a lot of stuff onboard now when they didn't used to have to."
The majority of Alaska visitors came on cruise ships, but the number of tourists coming by car and plane also is growing.
"Slow but steady growth among cruise and independent travelers is positive news for Juneau's economic future," said Lorene Palmer, president of the Juneau Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The number of cruise ship passengers visiting Alaska has quadrupled since 1990, when 235,000 people visited by cruise ships. The number of independent travelers has grown only 48 percent since 1990, when there were 455,000, compared to 673,000 in 2006.