Tourism season high despite bird flu concerns: Alaska is a land of wild birds but visitors aren't scared.

• Author: Pardes, Joan

Large, medium or small--when it comes to birds--Alaska has more than its share of wild fowl. From little sparrows to the majestic eagle, the state is home--if only on a temporary basis--to hundreds of thousands of birds every year. While the far north's bird population may have played a small role in the state's high tourism numbers in the past, Alaska's feathered friends may be promoted to leading roles on the world stage if the Avian Flu decides to pay a call to The Last Frontier. But so far, the tweeters-even the ones that fly over from Asia to enjoy the Alaska summer--have not exhibited any signs of being sick and the state's tourism sector is enjoying what many believe will be a record-setting season.

"Business is back and better than before 9/11," said Yoshi Ogawa, president of International Travel Consultants. "Despite the highest international fares that I have ever seen and the fact that we're in a state of war, people are traveling--even more than last year.

"As for the avian flu, it doesn't even come up in conversation," added Ogawa. "A few years ago with the SARS scare, people wouldn't go to the region affected or even the surrounding countries. The impact of SARS on the international travel trade may have been more significant than 9/11. But the fear factor is not present today like it was after 9/11, the SARS outbreak in Asia, or the beginning of the invasion in Iraq."

A native of Japan, Ogawa worked in the airline industry for close to a decade and a half before he established the Anchorage-based International Travel Consultants in 1988. The company is currently Alaska's sole consolidator for Scandinavian Airlines and Japan Airlines and has relationships with other major international carriers.

"Without an actual outbreak, the avian flu is a non-factor when it comes to tourism," said Ogawa.

While the avian flu (also known as H5N1) may not be on the radar screen for travelers at the moment, federal, state and local agencies are preparing for the possibility of an outbreak. From legislative briefings to interagency taskforces, the government--fresh from Hurricane Katrina's devastating wake that woke up the nation to the reality of its emergency preparedness plans--is attempting to educate the public in the event that the virus does appear in Alaska.

To date, H5NI has not appeared anywhere in the United States. The recent concern about this particular flu strain lies in the fact that if the virus mutates, it may become more...