News Release
Bed Tax Revenues Up 3.1 Percent: ACVB Reports Good Year in 2005
Anchorage, Alaska – Jan. 26, 2006 – Anchorage collected nearly $12 million in hotel and motel bed taxes in 2005, a 3.1 percent increase over the previous year and a full percentage point above what the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) anticipated.
ACVB’s report card for 2005 and its goals for 2006 were released today at the annual “Report to the Community” membership luncheon at the Egan Center.“It’s always great news when you predict a good year, and it turns out even better,” said Bruce Bustamante, ACVB president and CEO. “We’re thrilled with the numbers for 2005, and anticipate continued growth in 2006.”
The results from last year’s visitor season in Anchorage are bright on all fronts including increased hotel room revenues, up 3.1 percent over last year. ACVB also exceeded all of its sales goals for last year including $82.8 million in conventions sold and $85.6 million in conventions held. Web site traffic on ACVB’s www.Anchorage.net, a major information vehicle for travelers, grew to more than 525,000 visitors in 2005. The Web site received 3.4 million page views and increased referrals from search engines 200 percent.
Major successes for 2005 include the successful passage of a 4 percent increase to the hotel/motel bed tax to pay for a $103 million expanded Civic and Convention Center. Ground is expected to be broken for the new center, adjacent to the Performing Arts Center and Egan Center, by this spring. ACVB’s Tourism Development and Sales Department met and educated 2,227 tour operators and travel and group travel reservation agents across the country (up from 1,187 in 2004) with an Estimated Economic Impact (EEI) of more than $148 million.
Other accomplishments include the redesign of Anchorage’s Official Visitors Guide, more than $7 million in editorial placements in magazines, newspapers and television shows across the country and the hosting of the Society of American Travel Writers conference and the U.S. National Snowshoe Championships.
Anchorage continues to be one of the top travel destinations in the U.S. Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates’2006 Travel Trends Survey ranked Anchorage sixth in the nation for top destinations, up from 7th place last year. Alaska also ranks 2nd in the top five cruise destinations for this year. The Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) has predicted that travel expenditures by domestic and international travelers (which were up 7 percent in 2005) will increase another 8.8 percent in 2006, to $674 billion.
ACVB plans to capitalize on these trends by continuing to build relationships with cruise lines, creating more opportunities for travelers from Taiwan, China and Korea to come to Anchorage and to improve visitor services at the five Visitor Information Centers (VICs). To increase the number of conventions to fill expanded convention facilities, ACVB is currently qualifying hundreds of new conventions that have an attendance of 1,500 to 5,000 delegates. In 2006, these groups will be aggressively marketed at sales blitzes, trade shows and through familiarization tours and site inspections.
Some of the larger events that will be hosted in 2006 include the 2006 National Veterans Wheelchair Games, in July, with 1,000 delegates and an EEI of $974,160 and the National Indian Education Association, in October, with 3,000 delegates and an EEI of $2.9 million. The Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Conference will be back in Anchorage in 2006, with 3,500 delegates and EEI of $3.4 million.
Tourism continues to be Alaska’s second largest industry. Visitors in the state spend $1.6 billion annually and the industry supports 7.3 million jobs nationwide, including more than 30,000 direct jobs in Alaska. ACVB maintained its position as the state’s largest business-based membership organization with 1,240 members. More than 110 volunteers work in five VICs.
The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau’s mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage. ACVB’s marketing functions are funded by half of the bed tax collected by the lodging association. The other half goes to the Municipality’s general fund. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. For more information, explore www.Anchorage.net.
Media Contacts:
Laura Tanis
Public Relations Manager
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
ltanis@anchorage.net
(907) 257-2331 direct
(907) 250-5285 cell
(907) 222-3752 fax
Nance Larsen, APR
Vice President, Communications & Marketing Programs
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
nlarsen@anchorage.net
(907) 276-4118 direct
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