Alaska Tourism Numbers on the Rise

Officials in Alaska revealed Tuesday that tourism numbers for the state climbed in 2017 and the outlook for this year remains strong.

According to Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, McDowell Group’s Heather Haugland revealed at the Alaska Travel Industry Association’s annual convention that 1.93 million tourists arrived in the state in 2017.

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Last year’s numbers indicate a four-percent increase over the 2016 totals, with the majority of the increase attributed to a rise in cruise ship arrivals. Overall, tourism numbers have increased by 26 percent since 2010.

As for the financial impact, tourists spent $3.2 billion in 2017 and the government charged travelers $125.6 million in taxes and fees. The industry also created 43,000 jobs in Alaska, which is an increase of 3,600 jobs since 2015.

Winter tourism in the state is on the rise, with numbers increasing 33 percent between 2008 and 2017 thanks to aurora viewing, ice fishing and unique tours. Haugland also revealed cruise ship passenger arrivals are expected to rise by seven percent in 2018 and 17 percent in 2019.

The state experienced 13-percent growth of cross-border vehicle traffic this year, jumping from 190,074 arrivals to 214,873.