International Travelers: Market it and they will come.

• Author: Anderson, Tom
• Position: TOURISM

Tourism has become a leading industry in Alaska, and a burgeoning segment of that industry is the international traveler.

That's a sentiment expressed by Scott Mc-Murren, who publishes "Alaska Travelgram," and he's not alone in his opinion. McMurren has been a travel consultant and tourism expert in Alaska for more than thirty years, counseling Alaskans about airlines, accommodations, and mode-of-travel efficiencies while wooing tourists with the sparkle of Alaska culture and activities.

"Across the playing field, our Alaskan visitor and destination marketing organizations [DMOs] are rock stars when it comes to attracting foreigners to the state," says McMurren. "The larger communities have the big guns like Visit Anchorage, Explore Fairbanks, and Travel Juneau. Fortunately--from the Southeast to the Arctic--cities, travel-centric businesses, and large statewide nonprofits like the Alaska Travel Industry Association [ATIA] are partnering to make sure tourists find affinity with the state, visit here, enjoy it, and return."

McMurren says that combining DMOs into groups, who in solidarity visit the largest trade shows abroad and spin their tales to other travel wholesalers in foreign countries, ultimately targets a coalition of marketing efforts to generate travelers to Alaska.

He adds there are some signature international travel events that are critical for Alaska tourism businesses and their advocates. "It's a must-show for Alaskan tourism leaders to represent us at the annual March ITB travel conference in Berlin. There's also the US Travel Association's International PowWow (IPW) scheduled for Denver in May 2018, which is a valuable venue," says McMurren.

IPW's website details the economic importance of its event, stating in 2018 it will host "more than 1,000 US travel organizations from every region of the US (representing all industry category components), and more than 1,300 international and domestic buyers from more than 70 countries that conduct business negotiations resulting in the generation of more than $4.7 billion in future travel to the US."

McMurren says popular international tourism B2B events also include World Travel Market in London, the Icelandair Mid-Atlantic Tradeshow in Reykjavik, Iceland, and local shows including Alaska's Adventure Travel World Summit hosted in Anchorage.

Within each tourism sector there are subsets that businesses have found useful. Sometimes a travel broker or foreign tourism agency will latch onto one or two particular companies that resonate with their efforts, whether from Europe, Asia, or South America. McMurren notes there are numerous niche markets that entice foreigners to visit the state, from sightseeing to wilderness exploration and activities. "If you can market Alaska-centric activities like fishing, camping, hiking, traversing the road system in a motorhome, or just relaxing in a bed-and-breakfast in a majestic town like Homer or Petersburg or Talkeetna, international travel agents will hone in on the opportunity and partner with our professionals in Alaska to market the service," says McMurren. "That's what makes Alaska special and unique as a global destination."

Statewide Advocacy

ATIA is the state's tourism trade association. The organization represents more than 700 businesses in Alaska and implements the state's tourism marketing programs.

Vice President Julian Simpson has worked in the tourism industry since 2000 and has been with ATIA since 2004. She says thanks to aggressive branding--and collective outreach in Europe and Asia by ATIA members and staff--the 9 percent of travelers to Alaska coming from international locations each summer figure is holding steady. However, there has been much growth in the winter season due to the allure of the aurora.

"Despite cuts at the state budgetary level because of reduced oil prices, policymakers and community leaders are working with ATIA in recognition of the importance of international trade and tourism," says Simpson. "We're seeing a growing Chinese sector in visitation, particularly in the winter months, as well as the mainstay of Europeans and Australians that hold an affinity to the outdoors."

Marketing and promotion are part and parcel to ATIA's advocacy and member representation.

"Alaska is steadily building its tourism infrastructure, from new and renovated...