Executive Director Shanon Davis of the Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council has been appointed to the Alaska Tourism Marketing Board.
Davis: “So we give suggestions to the Department of Commerce on how the marketing dollars should be spent in the best interest in all segments of tourism in Alaska.”
The ATMB was just formed in 2014 and is comprised of 21 appointed members: 18 members representing industry, the Department of Commerce Community and Economic Development Commissioner, or appointee, one House member, and Senate member.
We asked if the board is having conversations about how one of Alaska’s largest industries can help increase revenues to combat the state’s looming budget crisis…
Davis: “One of the problems is that it can be kind of hard to identify the money that is coming in from visitors because we don’t have a sales tax. There have been many economic studies done that show the multiplier effects of the dollars that are brought in from outside by our visitors and the amount of jobs it creates and things along those lines but we don’t know how much it effects the state from independent travelers.”
Nevertheless, Davis says she is ready to be a part of conversations about how to help.
She added she is thrilled to be representing the “best area of the state”, also known as the Kenai Peninsula, on this statewide board.