The City of Kenai is officially launching the latest marketing campaign aimed at boosting tourism to the city. The campaign, titled “The Best Place To Alaska,” was first revealed earlier this year at the Kenai City Council’s January 6 meeting.
Tourism on the Kenai Peninsula took a major, unprecedented hit last year due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Despite Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce declaring that the Kenai was “open for business,” virtually every industry in Kenai had taken a hit – a hit that has yet to fully let up.
City Manager Paul Ostrander spoke with KSRM on Wednesday about the importance of the campaign: “The release of the actual program was on Monday of this week, and it’s really just talking about how the City of Kenai is the best place in Alaska to live and locate your business. We’re extending it beyond “Alaska’s Playground,” because clearly, the Kenai Peninsula and the City of Kenai is the place that you see a lot of folks from Mat-Su and Anchorage come to play during the summers, but our marketing campaign goes beyond that in that we’re not just the place to come and play during the summer or potentially the winter.”
Ostrander continued: “This is a place that makes sense to raise your family. It’s the best place to locate your business. That’s what this marketing campaign is trying to show people is that when they’re considering where to locate that business or move their family, they should consider the City of Kenai because we have everything that you need here. We argue that there’s not a better place in the State of Alaska to be located.”
According to a press release introducing the program, “The Best Place to Alaska” includes a series of videos and ads highlighting the unique benefits of Kenai’s small town lifestyle. The campaign features locals’ pride for its attractions, family-friendly environment, work-life balance, and modern amenities.
