A Focus on Visitors Creates Civic Good
A funny thing happens while making more enticing, enjoyable vacations in Anchorage. Turns out you’re also making the place better for the people that live here.
Visit Anchorage’s mission is “driving economic and social value for Anchorage residents, businesses, and visitors through tourism.” Those civic contributions are wide ranging.
While the benefits often come as facts and figures – more than $1 billion in annual visitor spending, 10,000 local jobs, and more than $26 million in local tax collections from tourism flowing directly into the city’s coffers – the numbers don’t show all the good things that stem from tourism.
“We work with visitors, but we work for residents,” emphasizes Visit Anchorage President & CEO Julie Saupe. “Encouraging travel is really just a mechanism for creating homegrown gains here in the Municipality of Anchorage.”
Developing Air Routes
This month, Southwest Airlines announced they will add service to Anchorage for summer 2026, the airline’s first service in Alaska. The announcement comes after years of discussion and research, and on the heels of a recent visit to the airport and tour of the community by Southwest marketing and operations staff.
Partnering with Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Visit Anchorage works to develop new air routes like these and encourage established carriers to expand service by increasing frequency, extending length of season, or using bigger aircraft.
New air carriers bring a new customer base with brand affinity north to travel, and also provide new service for residents.
“Visitors get more choices and better connections, but those planes fly both ways,” says Saupe. “Residents get to enjoy more travel options Outside too.”
Supporting Local Government
Visit Anchorage is a not-for-profit entity that contracts with the municipality. Much of the work focuses on marketing and promoting the community as a destination and ensuring the success of the convention centers. That expertise also comes in handy for other economic development initiatives that are municipal priorities. This played out most recently with the “Alaska Summit 2025” presidential visit, and over the years has included communications, advertising, staffing, or other coordination in support of the USS Anchorage commissioning, the Glacier Conference, and analyzing and researching ideas for Project Anchorage, a proposal to fund civic infrastructure projects. During COVID, Visit Anchorage was also the municipality’s partner to administer business relief grants – without administrative fees.
Visit Anchorage and ASD Partner for Student Success
For years, Visit Anchorage has been a cornerstone sponsor of the Anchorage School District’s School Business Partnerships program. The organization’s connections to schools have been going long enough that some current Anchorage business leaders can trace their involvement in tourism back to middle school projects with Visit Anchorage.
Today, Visit Anchorage supports initiatives that connect classrooms with the real-world economy. That includes sharing expertise as a guest presenter for King Tech High School classes, making classroom visits to show how disciplines from economics to English language arts can apply to creating the Official Guide to Anchorage, partnering with Central Middle School on field trips exploring tourism near their school, and joining hundreds of community partners to help bring career pathways to life in the Dena’ina Center during the annual ASD Freshman Career Expo in September. These connections give students a tangible sense of how their coursework links to careers — and help ensure that tourism continues to play a role in Anchorage’s future.
Shining Bright Lights on Arts, Culture, and Events
Anchorage’s stages, galleries, and cultural spaces keep the city vibrant year-round. From the start of the Anchorage Opera and Symphony seasons to neighborhood favorites like Dark Daze, the arts calendar is filled with reasons to gather, celebrate, and share the city. Big-name acts draw people from across Alaska and beyond to Anchorage’s arts venues while giving locals another reason to enjoy an essential public space.
The arts fuel jobs, small businesses, and community pride. They also keep Anchorage lively in every season. Visit Anchorage amplifies these efforts, promoting cultural experiences and supporting the organizations and artists behind them. The calendar of events on Anchorage.net is a top draw for residents too.
While the Visitor Information Center is a local landmark, Visit Anchorage’s commitment to community truly shines beyond those log cabin walls. Staff and volunteers are at Anchorage’s biggest celebrations, engaging with locals and visitors alike. From Juneteenth and Summer Solstice to Pride and July 4th, and Rondy, Iditarod, and ASAA March Madness: Visit Anchorage reinforces the work of other community organizations, helps residents and visitors find a good time, and celebrates Anchorage’s spirit.
Tourism in Anchorage is more than an economic bright spot—it is a catalyst for community well-being, educational opportunity, and cultural vibrancy. Through efforts to spur visitation, Visit Anchorage helps create places both residents and travelers can love. As the organization continues to foster partnerships, support local initiatives, and adapt to meet new challenges, Anchorage’s future gets a little brighter for everyone.
Editor's note: this article was originally published in Alaska Business Monthly and is republished here with consent.
