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Ketchikan business owner urges sustained tourism marketing funding
Summary
A Ketchikan business owner told the Senate Finance Committee that small Alaska tourism businesses rely on cooperative marketing and asked lawmakers to preserve tourism-marketing support in the budget.
Juneau — Jamie Palmer, a Ketchikan business owner, told the Alaska Senate Finance Committee on Feb. 26 that small tourism-dependent businesses rely on state-supported cooperative marketing and urged preservation of tourism marketing funds in the operating budget.
Palmer described eight tourism-related enterprises in Ketchikan — including a boutique on Historic Creek Street and a soon-to-open candle company — and credited co-op marketing through the Alaska Travel Industry Association for bringing global visitors to small shops. “Small communities and the opportunities for businesses and people to live year round and thrive — that’s your return,” Palmer said.
Why it matters: Testimony framed tourism marketing as an economic-development and community-sustainment tool for small towns that cannot afford broad international advertising without coordinated state or industry support.
Discussion vs. decision: Testimony was advisory; no committee vote occurred Feb. 26.
Ending: The committee continues to accept public testimony on operating and capital budgets in later sessions.
