What To Expect In Summer 2010

More Independents 
The types of people who travel around Alaska have been evolving ever since Alaska was "discovered." Last summer, we saw some heartening shifts -- a surge of independent travelers who just got on a plane and arrived in the state.

Boomers Want Adventure 
Their unplanned, spontaneous style was a change from the trends of the last five years, when visitors who pre-booked months ahead -- or who came north on cruise ships -- were actively courted, and suddenly even considered "typical."

People Want To See An Exciting Alaska 
Expect visitors this summer who are looking for an exciting Alaska -- the type of Alaska that you and your business can deliver.

Alaska's Not Your Typical Vacation 
Alaska has never been typical. It's an exciting place, with rafting, glaciers, hiking, wildlife, fishing, sightseeing -- and old cabins to view, Alaskans to meet, and the satisfaction of going somewhere unique. This is the perfect place for travelers who are eagerly watching, night after night, the new flood of reality TV shows that feature the Alaskan lifestyle.

Reality TV: Muskrats for Lunch 
These TV shows feature an Alaska that is a little out of control. Bears and wolves roam the countryside, trucks on ice roads struggle with spring breakup, young people are placed in lonely cabins and forced to eat muskrats for lunch, loggers cut down big trees -- and crab boats slosh around in the icy Bering Sea.

Don't Forget the People in Anchorage and Military Families 
Just because airplanes are going to step into the breach left by cruise ships, don't ignore a second huge group of potential travelers who have yet to see Alaska. Half the state's population is sitting in Anchorage. It's been years since they've been to Valdez. They've always wanted to go to McCarthy. They've never been to Fairbanks. Consider offering a military or an Alaskan discount to attract these important travelers to your business.