Alaska’s tourism companies see causes for hope in 2021 — even with out the cruise ships

Haley Johnston has high hopes for tourism companies like you this year, although large cruise lines are not expected to return to Alaska.

Industry representatives are also increasingly hopeful.

Canada’s pandemic-related cruise ban combined with the requirements of a U.S. law are expected to prevent large cruise lines from visiting Alaska for a second straight year this summer.

The canceled season hit Alaska’s tourism industry last year. For many cruise-dependent communities and businesses, the forecast for the tourist season is 2021 similarly bleak.

But Johnston, who owns a company that offers wilderness backpacking in the Brooks Range and elsewhere, believes independent travelers are a great opportunity in Alaska.

She points out that prior to the pandemic, nearly half of year-round visitors to the state were independent, arriving by air, highway, or ferry.

These independent travelers are typically non-cruise tourists who do not participate in pre-built trips with limited itineraries. The independent tourist typically has more access to a variety of restaurants and shops, stays longer, and spends more in Alaska, she said. That is after a 2016 report For the Alaska Travel Industry Association, the last time such a study was completed was in Alaska.

This summer, U.S. travelers of all kinds will be considering visiting the state, Johnston said. They’re looking for safe places to vacation domestically during the COVID-19 pandemic, and outdoor recreation will be high on their to-do list, she said.

“It is not easy to travel to Canada or the Galapagos Islands, so some of these people will be looking with us for their outdoor destination,” she said.

Camping, hiking, and fishing all soared during the pandemic, resulting in a rapid growth in outdoor activities, the Colorado Outdoor Industry Association reported Last month.

Alaska is a potential travel destination among travelers, said Julie Saupe, president of Visit Anchorage, citing The State of the American Traveler, a quarterly survey.

Potential visitors are increasingly turning to Visit Anchorage, she said.

“All the signs are that they are looking for the things we have to offer: scenic beauty, outdoor areas, and parks,” Saupe said. “So we are perfectly adjusted to this demand for open spaces and park landscapes.”

Independent travelers, however, aren’t the only factor leading some to believe that the 2021 tourist season can be bailed out somewhat.

Alaska’s largest cruise lines still play a role. Some have decided to offer land travel to the state this summer – excluding the sea cruises.

The plans should also contribute to a better-than-expected tourism season, tourism officials say.

Carnival-owned Princess Cruises and Holland America Line are facing a second summer of canceled cruises to Alaska. But from May 28th to September 6th, they’ll do it anyway work the 500 room McKinley Chalet Resort near Denali National Park and Preserve; and the 100 room Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge in Cooper Landing.

The lodges were closed last summer.

The company’s subsidiary, Gray Line Alaska, has began to sacrifice Multi-day land-based tour packages with these lodges and the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel. Guests can travel between Alaska Railroad and coach destinations, enjoy activities and sightseeing from the Kenai Peninsula to Fairbanks.

The land-based packages are available to everyone, unlike in previous years when they were only available to cruise passengers, said Erik Elvejord, a Holland America spokesman.

“This is good news for Anchorage and the Railbelt via Denali to Fairbanks, and it didn’t happen last year,” said Saupe of Visit Anchorage.

“That means job opportunities for Alaska this year that weren’t there last year, and it speaks for demand too,” she said. “When the companies canceled the cruises, they still found that Alaska was in demand right now.”

Finally, travelers traveling on the land-based excursions and having extra time to spend after the flight rather than going to Alaska may be able to stay longer after the end of their package.

They can become independent travelers spreading their money over Anchorage or Fairbanks.

However, the lack of large cruise lines has raised major concerns about the ongoing economic losses this summer.

Alaska’s congressional delegation is push forward with a temporary workaround for Canada’s cruise line ban. The Alaska Tourism Recovery Act proposed by Alaska Republican MP Don Young would provide a temporary alternative to existing U.S. law, allowing large cruise lines to operate round-trip flights between Washington state and Alaska without the usual required stop in Canada. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan have introduced an accompanying law in the Senate.

The tourism industry’s 2020 economic losses have not been quantified, but they were profound and widespread, said Sarah Leonard, president of the Alaska Travel Industry Association.

Before the pandemic, tourism had grown steadily at record levels.

In 2019, approximately 2.5 million people visited Alaska, generated more than $ 4.5 billion in economic activity, $ 215 million in tax revenue for state and local governments, and supported one in ten jobs in Alaska.

Given the ongoing pandemic, a handful of seasonal Princess lodges are expected to close again this summer. One of the closings is Denali Princess Lodge, also near the park, according to the companies’ plans.

But the opening of the chalet in McKinley and the lodge in Cooper Landing could help many tourism businesses, even though they wouldn’t bring tourism back to pre-pandemic levels, they said.

Valerie Raisis, co-owner of Denali Raft Adventures, which tours the Nenana River along Denali National Park, hopes the opening of the lodges will bring additional tourists. On the other hand, local hotel owners are concerned about increased competition.

The number of travelers this summer will not match those who arrive on cruise lines in a typical year, she said.

A pair of backpackers hike through a dry river bed in Denali National Park and Preserve on Wednesday May 18, 2016. (Bob Hallinen / ADN archive)

The international airports in Fairbanks and Anchorage forecast a sharp increase in non-state travelers compared to last year. But only so many people can travel by plane, she said.

Nonetheless, the family-run raft company’s interest and reservations have increased in recent weeks. Instead of making zero bookings per day for raft trips like last year, the company is getting about six per day, Raisis said.

A Denali Raft Adventures raft jumps through the rapids of the Nenana River outside Denali National Park, AK on Friday, May 22, 2015. The interior of Alaska has seen unusually warm weather recently. (Bob Hallinen / ADN)

“What I hear and see is that people are trying to plan their packages and they don’t know much about Alaska,” she said.

They ask how many places in the state to visit and where to stay, she said.

Leonard of the Alaska Travel Association said earlier this year the group had postponed some of its marketing to attract independent travelers to Alaska’s “naturally socially distant spaces.”

In addition, the opening of the lodges will help the industry, she said.

“We are very grateful that we can have an economic activity,” she said. “I don’t think we’ll be going back to pre-COVID levels this year, and it certainly won’t make up for it when we have cruise lines. But every way companies can adapt and operate and welcome visitors back is a good thing for the communities and the industry. “