BEAR NECESSITIES

SETTING THE AGENDA FOR TRAVEL

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8/11/2006

BEAR NECESSITIES

gents can educate themselves on Alaska’s latest tourism product in the next few weeks when wholesalers, operators and tourism bureaux converge on Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane for the annual Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA) training seminars.

Alaska, the 49th State of the US, is home to one of the world’s most pristine eco-systems in the world, and is emerging as a growth destination from Australia for both its cruising and wildlife experiences

“The market has seen steady growth over the last two years,” ATIA local representative Leeanne Dyer of Integra Tourism Marketing said. “And while cruising is the number one activity, exploring the Alaskan landscape and wilderness is really gaining momentum with Australians.

“People want to see the flora and fauna up close; they want to get up close to the animals – wildlife viewing is an integral part of the experience. They also want more activity options: hiking in the national parks, river rafting, fishing, kayaking and, in winter, dog sledding, skiing and snowmobiling,” Dyer said.

“The cultural side is also an important ingredient, the indigenous peoples and their traditions.”

There are many cultural facilities in Alaska and each region has one or more cultural centres that feature displays and hands-on exhibits of native culture and arts and crafts.

There are also a number of festivals held throughout the year, such as the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous, the Little Norway Festival and the Winterfest in Valdez that are proving an attraction.

“For Australians, it is still mainly a summer destination but there are incredible winter experiences in Alaska. The landscape alone is dramatic but there are also the winter sports and the various festivals,” Dyer said.

“Wholesalers are including a more diverse range of activities to meet demand. Australians want to experience Alaska’s outdoors – summer and winter - and its indigenous cultures.”

Alaska Bound travel and sales manager Maryann Anderson said that while the cruise market was strong, the “Alaska-Canada land experience” was now high on people’s agendas.

“People want to see the wildlife, and they want to see it in the wilderness such as at Katmai Wilderness Lodge, which has some of the best bear viewing in all of Alaska,” she said.

“They also want to go rafting and kayaking in the true wilderness. They want more active experiences, and this cuts across all age groups.”

The upcoming seminars will be attended by the Anchorage CVB, Fairbanks CVB, Cruise West, Alaska Airlines, Mat-Su Valley CVB, Qantas and key wholesalers.

“In Sydney, we are expecting around 100 agents, and around 50 at the Brisbane and Melbourne seminars,” Dyer said.

“We want to keep them more intimate. It is a destination training evening; we want the agents attending to really increase their knowledge of the destination.”

Dyer said there were around 50 Alaska Destination Specialist agents in Australia and that the ATIA hoped to treble this number over the next 18 months.

8 November 2006

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