Juneau is Number One Choice for Out-of-State Visitors
Juneau has become the number one visitor destination in Alaska, hosting 61% of all out-of-state visitors in 2011. Second most visited is Ketchikan, hosting 58% of all visitors. Skagway ties for third with Anchorage. Two national parks, Denali and Glacier Bay, are fifth and sixth on the list.
In total, 1,037,000 visitors (68%) of all tourists to Alaska visited the Southeast region in 2011. Over 90% of the visitors to Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Glacier Bay and Hoonah are cruise visitors, followed by Sitka at 84%. Our region hosts only 10% of all overnight visitors to Alaska. However, Wrangell, Petersburg and Haines, with low cruise visitation, averaged the longest length of overnight stay in Alaska, at 14.4 nights, 13.1 nights, and 11.1 nights, respectively. Of those that do stay overnight, most reach their destination by ferry (56%) with air a distant second (17%).
The Alaska Visitor Statistics Program (AVSP) is a statewide visitor study periodically commissioned by the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development. The study provides essential information on one of Alaska’s major economic engines: out-of-state visitors. These statistics are excerpted from the 2011 AVSP report. The full report is available at http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/ded/dev/toubus/research.htm.