Tourism stable in Alaska: tourism, the second largest private-sector employer, is flat in some parts of the state, but not as bad off as originally projected after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

• Author: Pardes, Joan

As strange as it may seem, the world is a tight market. With literally thousands of competitors located around the globe, destination markets-also known as vacation spots-are in the unenviable position of jockeying for position to attract the limited tourism dollars that are in circulation. Yes, it's true-the 'jet-setter' era (when only the wealthy could afford to travel) has been relegated to the history books, but so, too, is the boom of the '90s that infused billions of dollars into the travel industry here in America and abroad.

In Alaska, where tourism tags behind oil production as the second largest private-sector employer-the visitor industry is a main component of what fuels the state's economy. Comprised of mostly small businesses, tourism accounts for one in eight private-sector jobs, has a 78 percent resident-hire rate and infuses millions of dollars into the state through taxes and fees. And as the Last Frontier's fastest-growing industry, the state of our travel industry is of grave importance to America's far north's economic future.

TRAVEL IN ALASKA

Since the first explorers came to Alaska, people have been fascinated with the geography and culture that grace this corner of the world. From the Russians to John Muir's famous trip to the gold-seekers to modem day travelers, Alaska has attracted visitors for centuries. And as traveling methods improved, so did the flow of visitors who flocked to experience the wonder of The Last Frontier.

In the last part of the 20th century--a time of prosperity for most industrialized nations--Alaska's tourism industry began to take root and blossom. By 1990, the number of tourists that visited the state hovered at almost 700,000. Nine years later in 1999, that number had ballooned to twice its size and stabilized at 1.4 million. In the year 2001, with the peak tourist season almost at its end before the terrorist attacks on the East Coast rocked the world, Alaska's travel industry held steady with 1.2 million visitors. But in the post Sept. 11 world, where air travel carries its own baggage and the economy is not as robust as it once was, Alaska's travel industry faces some hard times as it tries to hold-and gain-ground as a premier destination market.

2002 TOURISM REPORT

According to a statewide survey conducted by the McDowell Group for the Alaska Travel Industry Association, tourism's steady growth over the past few years ended this past summer.

"In terms of numbers and arrivals, we're...