Visitor Industry

By fostering local ownership and entrepreneurship, the visitor industry can create sustainable economic opportunities, enhance cultural values, promote stewardship, and help ensure long-term prosperity in the region. Success requires a holistic approach, ensuring residents have the knowledge, resources, and access needed to develop and expand tourism businesses. Strategies will empower local entrepreneurs by building skills in business development, management, financing, and marketing that are tailored to Southeast Alaska.

Support efforts that address the critical need for housing in Southeast Alaska, specifically to address the workforce and community needs being impacted by the region’s fast-growing visitor industry. Collaborate with local stakeholders, including government agencies, private developers, and community organizations, to facilitate the development of effective and sustainable housing solutions. Collaborate to develop a variety of housing models suitable for the Southeast Alaska climate that can meet the need of growing, seasonal visitor industry workforce while also retaining and allowing opportunity for year-round residents in our region. Find regional solutions and solutions that work in our region. Collect input from seasonal workers to better understand needs and existing challenges. This will serve to enhance the region's capacity to attract and retain a skilled workforce essential for the tourism sector's growth while reducing impacts on locals.

Support Alaska Native and tribally-owned businesses, communities, and organizations efforts to grow cultural attractions. Cultural tourism includes art and architecture, historical and cultural heritage, food, literature, and music. It encompasses Indigenous lifestyles, value systems, beliefs and traditions. It can include Native artists and storytellers; Alaskan excursions ranging from walking tours, cruises, guided hunting and fishing, and includes unique experiences with Native foods and arts. Develop marketing programs and work with DMO’s to reach various operator types, travel media and affinity tourism. Help connect those developing cultural tourism opportunities with those that can bring it to market and provide support services. Grow the opportunity for cultural host training through more offerings and getting more trainers in the region.

Create a comprehensive regional strategy for Southeast Alaska’s growing visitor industry that focusses on sustainability, alleviating overcrowding and can accommodate the pressures of growth. Work with state and federal partners and planning efforts such as the USFS Tongass Plan Revision to open up, expand and increase access to public lands for new commercial and non-commercial opportunities. Collaborate with municipal and tribal governments, cruise operators, and industry stakeholders to identify alternative visitor destinations that do not negatively impact other industries and users. Develop infrastructure improvements that disperse visitor traffic throughout each community and that offers a diverse and expanded range of business products for a diverse array of visitor types. Through stakeholder engagement and impact assessments, the region can responsibly promote the broad and appropriate range of products to meet demand. Promote responsible tourism practices that preserve Alaska's natural beauty and cultural heritage for future generations, while simultaneously minimizing conflicts and maximizing benefits to local residents. Work with government agencies to ensure planning efforts support accessibility and balanced usability of public lands.