The Alaska Travel Industry Association got a mixed reception from lawmakers at an informal lunchtime presentation intended to rally support for two bills introduced last session that increase the state's contribution to visitor marketing. The bill would increase the state share of marketing expenses to $26 million, and change the match rate for industry contributions from 50/50 to a 90 percent state contribution.
“The survival of Alaska's tourism marketing" depends on passage of the bills, Brett Carlson, chairman of the ATIA board, told state lawmakers. A so-called "Millennium Plan," which set the current state/industry 50/50 partnership 10 years ago, has broken down because of the inability of the tourism private sector to raise the required 50 percent match.
At issue are House Bill 147 and Senate Bill 143, which shifts the match-rate. The appropriations are in House Bill 167 and Senae Bill 143.
Sponsors of the bills include House Speaker John Harris, R-Valdez, Rep. Craig Johnson, R-Anchorage, and Sen. Lesil McGuire, R-Anchorage.
At the briefing, critical questions were raised by Rep. Bill Stoltze, R-Chugiak, and Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines, who discussed the effect of increased tourism on growing sport and commercial fisheries allocation problems.
