What’s Ahead in Alaska

Jan 11, 2010

At the recent Alaska Media Road Show, sponsored by the Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA), TravelAge West heard from a slew of the state’s convention and visitors bureaus. Here’s the latest from the Great Land.

Alaska Rainforest Islands
Sharon Gaiptman with Alaska Rainforest Islands encourages agents to consider Mitkoff, Prince of Wales and Wrangell islands for an Alaska vacation.
“These remote hideaways include ancient forests, countless islands, friendly towns and living culture,” she said.

The newest event is their first-ever Bearfest, July 21-25, 2010, at the Anan Wildlife Observatory. Bears can be safely viewed from observation decks as they fish for pink salmon in a small stream. The event includes workshops, musical performances, cultural programs, films and a golf tournament.
www.alaskarainforestislands.com

Camp Denali
Sharon Gerhard, vice president of sales and marketing, emphasized that Camp Denali and North Face Lodge are two of the top ecotouring lodges in the country.
“Every cabin has a view of Denali,” she said, “and opens up a remote core of Denali National Park to our guests.”

A variety of commissionable price options are available, with private shuttle buses into both lodges, and all gear and equipment is included.
www.campdenali.com

Denali Park Resorts

Denali Park Resorts // © Denali Park Resorts

Carol Fraser, regional director of sales and marketing for Denali Park Resorts, said the company has completed a new addition to McKinley Village, the 15,600-square-foot Summit Lodge, multi-function building, and a complete 120-room amenity renovation. She said their Cabin Nite entertainment program is a highlight after a day of touring the park on either the five-hour or 12-hour bus tours into Denali National Park.
www.denaliparkresorts.com

Fairbanks CVB
According to Karen Lundquist, vice president of marketing, one of the biggest hits at the ATIA tourism convention recently held in Fairbanks was the newly finished Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center, with its visitor information kiosks, trip-planning services, theater and 9,000 square feet of interpretive exhibit galleries. The center also features dioramas and cultural programs such as Native singing and dancing. She encourages agents to contact the agency for assistance in individual or group-tour planning.
www.explorefairbanks.com

Haines Convention and Visitors Bureau
Executive director Lori Stepansky is hailing the Haines Highway as a unique driving route, and a recent addition to the National Scenic Byway system. Highlights include the Southeast Alaska State Fair and November Eagle Festival, where over 3,000 bald eagles congregate to feed on late-run salmon.
www.haines.ak.us

Icy Strait Point
According to Don Rosenberger, director of marketing and promotion, Icy Strait Point is an alternative destination to crowded ports, and is the only wilderness port in Alaska for cruise ships. The port, located adjacent to the village of Hoonah, offers the world’s longest zipline, where participants travel up to 60 mph. Tours include brown bear viewing, nature walks, whale watching and interaction with Alaska Tlingit culture through presentations and theater.
www.icystraightpoint.com

Juneau Convention and Visitors Bureau
Marketing manager Elizabeth Arnett said the hot new tour out of Juneau is the Dogsledding Bed and Breakfast atop Mendenhall Glacier, which is accessed only by helicopter. There, visitors can operate a dog sled and mush dogs around an oval loop atop snow-covered glacier ice. Even better, guests can spend the night on the glacier and feed and interact with dogs and mushers.

Other popular tours include dining with a real Alaska family, with the proceeds donated to charity, or fishing for salmon and halibut from kayaks, ziplining or learning how to cook Alaska-style at a local cooking school.
www.traveljuneau.com

Kenai Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
Travel trade manager Teresa Nichol said Kenai Fiords is the hot cruise-tour on the Kenai Peninsula. The Seward Sealife Center is a must-visit, along with a flightseeing trip over the Harding Icefield. Guides out of Homer offer ample “up close and personal” experiences into Kachemak Bay State Park. Fishing the Kenai River for king salmon up to 90 pounds draws anglers from around the world.
www.kenaipeninsula.org

Ketchikan Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
Executive director Patti Mackey said a new tour called Ketchikan Tour Stories “will be a hoot,” along with some new artwork and interpretive displays along the city’s boardwalk. She said a decrease in cruise-ship visits opens up possibilities for independent travelers to visit roads less traveled on nearby Prince of Wales Island. She emphasized Ketchikan is a great place to shop for original Alaska art, as the city has been listed as one of America’s top 100 small arts communities in a guidebook.
www.visit-ketchikan.com

Kodiak Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
Janet Buckingham, executive director, said the island’s wilderness lodges are great ways to “get it all,” which includes bear viewing, fishing and wildlife viewing. Fishing is world-class, with salmon, steelhead, rockfish and a two-halibut-a-day bag limit. She emphasized that a three-day, three-night live-aboard tour on the MV Star touring the Katmai Coast is a can’t-miss tour.
www.kodiak.org

Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau
Executive director Bonnie Quill is passionate about telling agents about the Iditarider program, where lucky bidders win rides with mushers for the first 12 miles of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. For road travelers, the Glenn Highway, which courses through the Mat-Su Valley, is part of America’s Scenic Byways.
“It’s really cool to see and experience the lodges, glaciers and people along the way,” Quill said.
www.alaskavisit.com

National Parks Alaska Region
Assistant regional director John Quinley said Alaska has 17 national parks, and when compared to Denali National Park, some are not as well known to travel agents and the national media, but should be. Sitka National Historic Park is celebrating its 100th anniversary in March 2010. The Klondike Goldrush National Historic Park is releasing more of the Rapuzzi collection of century-old artifacts next year and the 11-million-acre Western Arctic Parklands opens a new visitor center in Kotzebue in winter of 2009-10.
www.nps.gov/alaska

Nome Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
Richard Benneville emphasized the Nome Discovery Tours/Teller day trip as a do-first tour that explores the history and local Native culture of the Nome area. After the tour, he recommended renting a car to explore the three major gravel road systems in the area, which include hot springs, old gold mining relics, scenic mountains and fly-fishing opportunities.
www.visitnomealaska.com

Skagway Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
In Skagway, you never know who you are going to bump into, especially on Jan. 23, when the city will host its first American Belly Butting Championship.
According to Buckwheat Donahue, CVB executive director, “If you’re fat, chubby or just like knocking down people with your gut, then this competition is for you.”
Rules and registration forms are available online.

Other highlights include the National Park Service’s walking tour of downtown Skagway, the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad and Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park. Newly offered rock-climbing day trips teach novices how to navigate in mountain goat country. Additional tours include sea kayaking, mountain biking and river rafting.
www.skagway.com

Southwest Alaska
Mike Catsi with the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference stressed the adventure-filled aspect of touring southwest Alaska. One of his recommendations for 2010 was Izembek Wildlife Refuge with over 240 species of birds and bear-viewing opportunities. He advocated using the Alaska Marine Highway ferry to tour the southwest Alaska coast. Superb fishing opportunities at numerous lodges throughout the region, as well as a fly-in, backcountry adventure into Aniakchak Volcano, which is part of Aniakchak National Monument.
www.southwestalaska.com

Valdez Convention and Visitors Bureau
According to executive director David Petersen, Valdez Glacier is one of the hottest day tours out of Valdez, which includes exploring ice caves and kayaking through glacial icebergs. New day trips include various treks on nearby Worthington Glacier. Few small rivers can surpass the excitement of whitewater rafting the scenic gorge of Keystone Canyon. Anglers and non-anglers can enjoy sport-fishing or just watching millions of pink and silver salmon congregate near Solomon Gulch Hatchery. The newest lodge is Robe Lake Lodge, located just on the outskirts of town.
www.valdezalaska.org

Tour Operators and Resorts

Alaska Heritage Tours
Dee Dee Kay, lodge sales manager with Alaska Heritage Tours, said Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge will be offering dog-sledding and kennel tours next summer, and that geocaching is becoming a popular event for visitors at the lodge. She encouraged agents to check out the new cabins at Kenai Fiords Wilderness Lodge on Fox Island, about an hour’s boat ride from the city of Seward. Seward Windsong Lodge has also added new deluxe guestrooms overlooking the Chugach National Forest and surrounding mountains.
www.alaskaheritagetours.com

Alaska Marine Highway
Marketing manager Danielle Adkins was excited about the Alaska Marine Highway (AMH) being designated by the National Scenic Byway Program as an “All American Road.” Travel agents receive commissions on everything from three-hour sailings from Whittier to Cordova, up to the 3,500-mile route from Bellingham, Wash., to Dutch Harbor, Alaska. AMH’s 11 vessels currently serve 30 Alaska coastal cities.
www.ferryalaska.com

Alaska Railroad
Susie Kiger, director of passenger sales and marketing for the Alaska Railroad (ARR), said visitors need to check out Alaska by Daylight, a 10-day, 10-night program that visits the state’s most popular attractions. Kiger said agents will be able to review and book new ARR promotions online by year’s end. Alaska National Parks by Rail is another popular program for 2010 via Goldstar, the railroad’s first-class, dome-car service. The Glacier Discovery train to Spencer Glacier and Grandview continues to be one of the railroad’s most popular tours, and the Chugach Explorer is a new whistle-stop service for those interested in do-it-yourself tours of Alaska’s backcountry.
www.alaskarailroad.com

Alyeska Resort

Alyeska Resort will debut a new ‘Super Pipe’
for the upcoming ski season.// (c) 2009
Alyeska Resort/Frank Haselhorstf

According to Alyeska Hotel general manager Mark Weakland, the resort offers an average of 643 inches of snowfall annually and 304 full-service rooms that are located just 40 miles from Anchorage International Airport. Five new ski runs featuring gladed terrain and a new in-ground Super Pipe will open this winter. The Super Pipe is 300 feet in length and 55 feet wide, with 18-foot walls. Summer activities include hiking on newly added trails as well as a Forest Fair and Blueberry Festival.
www.alyeskaresort.com

Grayline of Alaska
Mark Mumm, director of sales and marketing for Grayline of Alaska, said the company is offering new self-drive and guided tour packages that include the Kenai Princess
Wilderness Lodge, Mount McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge and Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge.
www.graylineofalaska.com

Waterfall Resort
Marketing director Chuck Baird said this popular fishing destination receives more than 2,300 guests a year in a 90-day season. The King Salmon Jackpot Challenge now offers up to $275,000 in optional cash jackpots with more than $5,000 in sponsored merchandise. Agents should inquire about commissions and special discount weeks.
www.waterfallresort.com

Wedgewood Resort
Nancy DeWitt, project director, urged agents to check out two unique attractions that recently opened at Wedgewood Resort. The Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum showcases automobiles from post-Gold Rush Alaska, along with vintage photographs and 25 clothing exhibits. Adjacent to the museum is the 75-acre Wedgewood Wildlife Sanctuary, with 1½ miles of trails, wildlife-viewing areas and interpretive displays.
www.fountainheadhotels.com

Within the Wild Adventure Company
Kirsten Dixon and her husband, Carl, owners of Redoubt Bay Lodge and Winterlake Lodge, reported a new addition: Tutka Bay Lodge, located outside of Homer. Tutka offers fishing, hiking and tide-pool viewing. Dixon is an award-winning chef and she recommended a three-lodge package visit that allows guests to sample a variety of Alaska fishing and outdoors combined with high-end food and service.
www.withinthewild.com