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| Family visiting Denali National Park. |
Alaska Reality Shows Still
Going Strong!
Those energetic people who put together
reality shows are still having a heyday in
Alaska. In spite of their superficiality, the shows do fire
up an interest in us as a state and are worth checking out
to see how they might dovetail with something you
have to offer.
Here are some of the shows that are on TV recently:
Buying Alaska
This new show just started up. Last week, we saw
"a New Jersey dogmusher" wander around the
Caribou Hills region south of Soldotna with his
wife, looking for a house that cost less than
$150,000, but allowed him to have a dog lot,
and access to trails. The offerings ranged from
musher Tim Osmar's property (which had an outdoor
cook shack and doorless outdoor john) to a fancy little cabin
with a huge driveway, terrific views, no kitchen,
no electricity, no water -- and a $1,000 a month
heating bill. Says the Discovery Channel about this
show: "...dangers come with all the beauty, and living
in this rugged and remote terrain can lead to animal
attacks and brutal winters that cut you off from society."
Flying Wild Alaska
A TV show about bush flying, this show highlights
"the amazing skills of Era's top pilots as they take on
Alaska's most extreme flying challenges." Interestingly
enough, the show features pretty ordinary (but also
sometimes dangerous) activities -- landing on the tundra
with a party of hunters. Landing on a sandbar. Fighting
crosswinds. Rescuing stranded rafters. Dealing with ice
buildup on the wings.
Alaska The Last Frontier
The Kilcher Family of Homer (not Jewel, but apparently
everyone else in the family) cooks wild meat outdoors
and discusses how much they appreciate their food.
They also engage in other familiar
activities, including using the john, gathering hay, chopping
wood, cutting fish, herding cattle along the shore, hunting,
wearing a variety of all kinds of hats, watching the snow
come and building a greenhouse.
There are other shows in the works. Word is out that there's a
show being made somewhere between Kenny Lake and
Chitina. An Anchorage Daily News story last winter also
described a new show called, "Lock, Stock and Barrow"
in which families were dumped on the North Slope during
the middle of the sunless winter.
Tourism Trends:
US TOURISM IS UP OVERALL FOR 2012
The UN World Tourism Organization says that global
tourism is on the rise. Overall, it has gone up 4% in the
first 8 months of the year 2012. The United States is one
of the top growers:
"Among the 10th largest international tourism earners, receipts
grew significantly during the first six to nine months of 2012
in Hong Kong (+17%), US (+8%), France (+5%) and the UK
(+4%)...."
--November 5, 2012, Travel Weekly
FOREIGN VISITS TO U.S. ON UPSWING
"...between January and August, international visitors have spent
an estimated $82.2 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related
goods and services in 2012. That's up 11 percent from the same
period in 2010. By year end, they estimate that international visitors
could end up injecting a record $169 billion into the U.S. economy."
--September 20, 2012, The Seattle Times
CANADIAN TOURISM THRIVING
"Alberta's tourism industry can breathe again following strong
indicators it's on the rebound after years of decline from global
recession, says a provinical bureaucrat. Bruce Okabe, CEO of
Travel Alberta, says they are seeing a resurgence in the tourism
industry across the province. 'They're going absolutely fantastic,'
said Okabe... Alberta is leading the country... Okabe cited the 8%
revenue growth seen by the Glenbow Museum this year and the
1.4 million visitors to the Calgary Stampede last July."
--November 16, 2012, Calgary Sun
NORWAY IS INVESTING $400 MILLION
IN SCENIC HIGHWAYS AND LOOKOUTS
"To boost services to its 'already flourishing tourism industry'
Norwegian architects have designed a number of sophisticated
points where travelers can interact with nature. These include the
Aurland Lookout, 'a 98-foot-long pirate plank of a viewing bridge
that reaches out over one of the largest and most spectacular fjords in
western Norway'."
--Fast Company, Co.Design
Targeting Specific Markets
WHY ARE BABY BOOMERS IMPORTANT TO TOURISM?
"In 2011, Boomers started turning 65 at a rate of 7,000 to
10,000 a day with 54% of them having already retired --
a boon to the travel industry as over half of them say they
plan to travel more according to an AARP study. Boomers
are already the most traveled generation in history. They're
active, identify with being young at heart rather than being
Golden Agers, are inclined to adventure and have a continued
desire to learn...this age group places travel higher in importance
than anything else, including spending time with family, health,
and working out."
--November, 2012, Baby Boomers Traveling
WHAT DO FAMILIES WANT WHEN THEY TRAVEL?
"Families are customers whose needs can be met with the
wonderful assets offered by the rural world. Beautiful scenery,
safe and healthy environment, authentic nature, outdoor
activities, reasonable prices and a warm welcome."
--The Rural Europe Library