STATE SCORES BILLIONS IN TOURISM DOLLARS.

• Author: PARDES, JOAN

The state's convention and visitors bureaus tap into instate, Lower 48 and international markets to bring tourism dollars our way.

By cruise ship, plane, ferry, motor home or car--no matter how they get here--tourists are welcome in Alaska. From May to September, a large percentage of Alaskans (a whopping 78 percent of the private-sector work force) take time to show off the natural wonders of The Last Frontier.

Ranking third in its impact on the state's economy, the Alaska visitor industry weighs in as a multi-billion dollar earner and is the second-largest private-sector employer. In the summer of 1999, 1.2 million visitors ventured into the state and although the final statistics for the 2000 season have not been compiled, the number of tourists definitely grew and is expected to increase again this summer. But tourists don't find their compasses heading north entirely on their own. At the helm of many tourism efforts stands a convention and visitors bureau flagging down visitors to head toward their area of the Last Frontier.

Largest City Attracts Conventions

With more than 1,350 members, the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau is the largest business organization in the state. Funded by a portion of the municipal bed tax and its membership dues, the 39 employees of the nonprofit organization have a simple and direct task: selling Anchorage as a year-round destination.

"We're here to market Anchorage and to advocate for our members," said Joy Maples, ACVB's director of communications. "Our sales staff is divided into a tourism sales division for leisure travelers, and a meetings and conventions sales (division) for the business sector."

To date, the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau has sold $70 mil lion worth of conventions that will take place within the next six years. And with the recent success of the Winter Special Olympics, the future looks good for the city's convention business.

"The Special Olympics is the largest event to come to the state and the state will definitely benefit, not only from its economic impact but its infrastructure development as well," said Maples of the event that attracted 8,000 visitors from more than 70 countries and infused $80.6 million in the Anchorage economy.

Although the Special Olympics raised the bar for future event possibilities for Alaska's largest city, most of Anchorage's conventions are still statewide meetings, the largest being the Alaska Federation of Natives held every...