Alaska Breaks New Record in Tourism

Alaska has Broken a New Tourism Record

The Alaska Visitor Volume Report assesses data over the last 12 months and has found that 33,000 more visitors came to Alaska when compared to the previous season. This is a marked increase of 1.1%. Jillian Simpson, who is the CEO of the association, has said that the increase has been driven in part by the cruise sector, but some smaller communities have seen big increases in visitation as well.

There are also some parks, including Kodiak and Unalaska, which have seen the highest increase in traffic. With 88% of people who visited Alaska visiting in the summer, it just goes to show that more and more people are being drawn to the state. Even though half of those people travelled on a cruise ship, the other half travelled via airline travel, with Juneau’s port receiving 1.7 million passengers.

Popular TV Shows have Driven Alaskan Tourism

A big driver of tourism in Alaska is popular TV shows, which include Deadliest Catch. The show showcases the unique lifestyle of those who work in the commercial crab fishing market, with tourism promoters recognising the show as a key part of the recent surge. Some tourism companies have also used the show in their marketing campaigns.

Specialised tours are also being conducted that are themed around the show, with one being the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour, which is in Ketchikan. As these tours use genuine Bering Sea fishing vessels and are guided by experienced fishermen, they have helped to promote the state even more.

The show has had a widespread impact on other entertainment media as well, which has helped to push Alaskan tourism even more. The Curiosity Daily podcast features captains from the show and interviews them on air, and there are even games that centre on the show’s theme. Online, there are bingo slots that pay homage to Deadliest Catch. Slingo Deadliest Catch features iconic people from the television show, with graphics and symbols that reflect the crabbing sector and the extraordinary fishing vessels that trawl Alaskan waters.

With the show having such a widespread impact and being present across numerous entertainment verticals, it’s no surprise to see that it has contributed to the tourism boom in Alaska. On top of this, the show has also helped to highlight the unique niche of the Alaskan tourism market, as people not only want to see the stunning locations, wildlife, and culture, but also the dangerous fishing conditions that people have to face in order to keep up with the market demand. When you break all this down, it’s not hard to see why Alaska is finally being put on the map as one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

Image credits – dreamstime