Tourism Industry

Tourism held steady at 1.7 million, with more foreigners

More came by air. Fewer by car or RV. And at the end of Alaska's tourist season it looks like the state hosted about 1.7 million visitors this year, roughly the same number as last year. Cruise ships remain the foundation of Alaska's visitor industry, carrying three out of every five tourists.

Palin on cover of state tourism brochure

Early this month, 500,000 people around the U.S. opened their mailbox to find a letter featuring a photo of a smiling Sarah Palin and signed simply "Sarah."

Business in brief

Short news items from the business world

Tour operators get a chance to go 'green'

A new non-profit program launched this week will enable Alaska tour operators to get certified as "green." The "Adventure Green Alaska" eco-label program is the first of its kind in Alaska, according to the Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association, which launched it.

Cruise ship inspectors gain improved access

Cruise ship lines have made their vessels more accessible to state environmental monitors in the last month, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Americans cut back on June road trips

The summer vacation season began this year with Americans behind the wheel less. And Alaska was among the states recording the largest declines in driving.

Pioneer Alaska aviator dies at home at 96

Ray Petersen, a pioneer Alaska aviator, died in his sleep Tuesday morning in his Anchorage apartment, his family said.

Denali bus drivers reach tentative accord

Bus drivers at Denali National Park and Preserve have reached a tentative agreement over long-term wage issues, according to the president of Teamsters Local 959.

Proposed visitor center has land to sit on

A new federal/state visitor center in the planning stages for an area near Tok moved another step forward toward welcoming upward of 100,000 visitors annually.

Tourists show up, but next year's a question mark

The summer so far is generally holding steady for tourist-dependent businesses in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, thanks at least in part to a pulse of European travelers drawn by the weak U.S. dollar.

Denali bus drivers OK strike as wage negotiations continue

Embroiled in a long-running dispute over pay rates and unpaid wages, the bus drivers who ferry visitors into Denali National Park and Preserve have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike that could cripple the park's transportation system.

Ketchikan wants cruise ships to stay longer

Ketchikan city officials are hoping to convince cruise lines to stay a bit longer in the Southeast community. According to the Downtown Steering Committee, Ketchikan has the shortest average stays of the three primary Alaska cruise port cities.

Green machine

For years, visitors wanting to see Denali National Park's grizzly bears, moose, sheep and caribou have had to ride school buses that polluted the air and spoiled the tranquility with their noisy, carbon dioxide-spewing diesel engines.

Photos: Denali Park

Denali park visits plunge 13%

Visits to Denali National Park are down 13 percent so far this year, and everything from high gas prices to bad weather is getting blamed.

Photos: Denali Park

Tourists push north despite high fuel prices

In early May, Bob and Sandy Wilson and their two cats began a long-planned road trip from North Carolina to Alaska. They discovered right away that their 40-foot luxury motor home wasn't the only big rig rambling north.

Glacier Bay cruise ship resumes schedule after crack in hull fixed

WRANGELL -- The Spirit of Glacier Bay cruise ship, which ran aground in Tarr Inlet on Monday, began taking on water Thursday night while traveling from Juneau to Ketchikan for repairs.

Damaged cruise ship takes on water

The Spirit of Glacier Bay cruise ship, which ran aground in Tarr Inlet on Monday, began taking on water Thursday night while traveling from Juneau to Ketchikan for repairs.

Grounded Alaska cruise ship in for repairs

A cruise ship that ran aground near Glacier Bay this week made its way back to Auke Bay in Juneau tailed by a tugboat and a vessel containing oil spill response equipment, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Cruise ship runs aground in Glacier Bay

Passengers aboard a cruise ship hoping to see whales and other marine mammals were left high and dry Monday after the vessel went aground in the waters of Glacier Bay National Park in Southeast Alaska.

Cruise West already under Coast Guard watch

Video: Spirit of Glacier Bay caught on a sandbar (U.S. Coast Guard)

Cruise West already under Coast Guard watch

The number of mishaps aboard Cruise West vessels so far this season has landed the company on a special program to review the ships' safety and maintenance procedures, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Weakened dollar draws foreign tourists to state

Tourism officials monitoring business in Fairbanks see a bright side to high gasoline and grocery prices.