News Release
Shoulder Season Soars in Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska – August 7, 2006 – It’s the best-kept secret in Alaska, but more travelers are catching the trend. Visiting Anchorage, Alaska during the shoulder season is a great way to take advantage of significantly lower hotel and car rental rates.
“I’ve had several business travelers ask when our rates drop, and they plan their trips around that,” said Dee Dee Lewis, director of sales at the Hotel Captain Cook in downtown Anchorage. They try and avoid the higher rates during the peak tourism season, knowing that Anchorage weather in September, March and April is comfortable and pleasant. Our fall is always busy because there are quite a few conventions. But the spring has also picked up.”
“We’ve noticed a small increase in 2005 and an even larger one in 2006,” said Chris Cheney, general manager of the Dimond Center Hotel. “A lot of our shoulder growth has been due to some small groups and conferences. But we’ve noticed a large number of Alaskans staying with us in the weeks leading up to summer,” Cheney added.
May and September bookend the peak tourism season in Alaska. Besides lower rates, visitors can also get more local flavor, have increased wildlife viewing opportunities, and a chance to see the seasons shift. In addition, the city is pulsing year-round with recreational activities, seasonal festivities, fine dining, premier museums, arts and entertainment and sporting events.
Todd Rust, co-owner of Rust’s Flying Service says for the most part, September and October have been fairly flat for his business. But he says May is a much different story.
“May business is up and growing,” he said. “The number of people coming each year is increasing somewhere in the neighborhood of five percent,” he added.
Phillips Cruises and Tours transports customers to incredibly beautiful areas to see humpback whales, orcas, sea birds and calving glaciers up close. The company is based in Whittier and has experienced a surge on both ends of the shoulder season. General manager Barrie Swanberg says the business works hard to fill the boats.
“It’s above 10 percent, and we’ve been growing each year,” he said. “We used to start our season around the middle of May and stop around September 15. Now we’re starting at the end of April or the beginning of May. Our season wraps up around September 30. We’re sticking around for conventions and other groups. But there isn’t just one source for our customer base. We try to work them all and keep them happy,” he said.”
Many travelers are discovering that not only are the rates far better, but the crowds are gone, and watching the seasons change has its own mystique in Alaska. Spring and fall transition rapidly in the north – and no other months demonstrate this better. A warm afternoon in May will quickly transform the landscape from a white winter wonderland to resplendent spring green. And a crisp September night will leave the mountains painted with vibrant strokes of red and gold.
Many visitors believe they have to go to places like Denali National Park and Preserve to see moose or other wildlife. What they don’t realize is that even though Anchorage is a cosmopolitan city, it’s located at the base of the Chugach Mountains and in the heart of the wilderness. The city is home to nearly 1,600 moose. During the heat of the summer, moose bed down under shady trees, out of sight of visitors. But when Anchorage has cooler weather, visitors and residents are more likely to see the wild animals.
The scenery surrounding the city is also spectacular. From downtown Anchorage two active volcanoes are visible as well as the highest point on the continent of North America (Mount McKinley), and six major mountain ranges including the Tordrillo Mountains (which features Mt. Spurr) and the Aleutian Range (where Mt. Redoubt is located). Take a walk, run or ride a bike along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail overlooking Cook Inlet. It stretches 11 miles from downtown Anchorage to the wooded Kincaid Park. Along the way, you may spot sandhill cranes, shorebirds, gulls, waterfowl and moose.
Just 10 minutes from downtown is one of Anchorage’s favorite playgrounds. Chugach State Park is the third largest state park in the nation. Folding into the foothills of East Anchorage, the half-million acre park encompasses some of Alaska’s most accessible hiking, skiing, camping, wildlife viewing, snowmobiling, rafting, and climbing areas. It’s also home to soaring eagles, grizzly bear, moose, wolf packs and lynx. The wildlife and rugged peaks make for a stunning backdrop to the Anchorage landscape.
“People are taking business trips and extending them to go fishing or take part in a variety of other activities,” said Debbie Higby, general manager of the Westmark Anchorage Hotel. Generally speaking, the shoulder season in Anchorage seems to be growing stronger.”
While many of the public concerts and festivals occur during the summertime, holiday shoppers and art enthusiasts can look forward to several other special events October through December. They include the Make it Alaskan Festival, the Arts and Crafts Emporium and Alaskafest, an event celebrating crafts, special events, sports and Native music concerts.
In March, fans line the streets of downtown Anchorage to watch the start of the world-famous Iditarod Sled Dog Race, followed by the Tour of Anchorage, one of the largest premier cross country ski marathons in North America. April features the GCI Arctic Man Ski and Sno Go Classic, a competitive event combining downhill ski races and exciting snowmobile races. Later during the month, the local ski resort ushers in spring with the Alyeska Spring Carnival and Slush Cup, an event featuring skiers and snowboarders who attempt to glide over an icy-cold pond while donning zany costumes. May kicks off with the Native Youth Olympics, an event showcasing traditional games including the Alaskan High Kick and the Seal Hop.
Summer and winter each have their own unique beauty, filled with activities and seasonal events. However, the shoulder season features unbeatable deals, no crowds and plenty of thrilling events. It also offers the magic of one season quickly transforming into another. It’s the time of year when the trip of a lifetime is affordable and filled with unforgettable scenic opportunities in a wild city that pulses with excitement.
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 one-third of the bed tax collected by the lodging association. One-third goes to the Municipality’s general fund and one-third goes to the Anchorage Civic and Convention construction project. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. For more information, explore www.Anchorage.net.
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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
