Alaska tourism spending reached $3.9056 billion in direct visitor spending during the May 2022-April 2023 study year, while the tourism sector produced $5.6324 billion in total economic impact. The figures below put that spending in context: visitor volume, seasonality, trip behavior, regional distribution, cruise activity, parks, and public revenue.
Contents
- Statewide spending and economic impact
- Visitor volume and seasonality
- Trip spending and visitor behavior
- Where spending was distributed
- Cruise tourism and local economies
- Parks, public revenue, and destination impacts
Statewide spending and economic impact
The Alaska 2022-2023 Tourism Impact Model measured the full study year from May 2022 through April 2023. Visitors directly spent $3.9056 billion in Alaska during that period. After indirect and induced effects, tourism produced $5.6324 billion in total economic impact. Tourism payroll totaled about $1.4 billion in the model. Alaska 2022-2023 Tourism Impact Model
Seasonality shaped the total. Summer 2022, defined in the model as May through October, generated $3.0912 billion in direct spending and $4.4428 billion in total economic impact. Winter 2022-2023, covering November through April, generated $809.3 million in direct spending and $1.1861 billion in total economic impact. These are separate seasonal measurements within the same study framework, not forecasts. Alaska 2022-2023 Tourism Impact Model
The comparable summer series shows how visitor spending changed over time. Average summer trip spending rose from $934 in 2006 to $1,485 in 2022. Summer direct spending increased from $1.52 billion in 2006 to $3.09 billion in 2022. The source presents these as historical comparison figures for summers 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2022. Alaska 2022-2023 Tourism Impact Model
Travel Alaska’s paid-media analysis provides a different 2023 measure. The campaign influenced $2.1 billion in Alaska visitor spending and 615,500 trips during calendar year 2023. Average influenced trip spending was $3,420, and independent visitors accounted for 71% of the influenced spending. Tourism Works for Alaska; Alaska Tourism Marketing Return on Investment Press Release
Visitor volume and seasonality
Alaska received an estimated 3,046,600 visitors during May 2023-April 2024, according to the Alaska Visitor Volume report. Summer 2023 accounted for 2,648,600 visitors, or 87% of the full-year total. Winter 2023-24, measured from October 2023 through April 2024, brought an estimated 398,000 visitors, or 13%. Alaska Visitor Volume: Summer 2023 and Winter 2023-24
Transportation markets explain much of the summer pattern. Cruise visitors represented 1,719,000 arrivals and 65% of summer 2023 visitors. Air visitors represented 852,500 arrivals and 32%, while highway and ferry visitors represented 77,100 arrivals and 3%.
Across the full May 2023-April 2024 year, the report counted 1,719,000 cruise visitors, 1,240,000 air visitors, and 87,600 highway or ferry visitors. Full-year visitor volume was 20% above the comparable 2018-19 level of 2,536,000 visitors. Alaska Visitor Volume: Summer 2023 and Winter 2023-24
The longer comparison also shows different recovery patterns by market. Winter air visitors increased 25%, from 309,700 in winter 2018-19 to 387,500 in winter 2023-24. Summer cruise volume grew 29%, from 1,331,600 passengers in 2019 to 1,719,000 in 2023. Alaska Visitor Volume: Summer 2023 and Winter 2023-24
Trip spending and visitor behavior
The 2022-2023 impact model recorded 22,465,847 visitor days. It reported an average statewide stay of 8.5 nights. The companion Alaska 2022-2023 Visitor Profile measured an average stay of 8.3 nights for all visitors, with 9.0 nights for independent visitors and 7.5 nights for cruise visitors. The two sources use different measures, so their estimates should be read in their original contexts. Alaska 2022-2023 Tourism Impact Model; Alaska 2022-2023 Visitor Profile Report
Average trip spending for summer visitors was $1,485 in the 2022-2023 tourism model. In the visitor profile, 43% of travelers were cruise visitors, 50% were independent visitors, and 6% were guided-group travelers. Leisure or personal travel was the primary purpose for 80% of visitors; visiting friends or relatives accounted for 14%, and business accounted for 4%. Alaska 2022-2023 Tourism Impact Model; Alaska 2022-2023 Visitor Profile Report
The most common reported activities were local cuisine at 68%, wildlife viewing at 66%, and shopping at 54%. Lodging choices also varied: hotels, motels, resorts, lodges, or bed-and-breakfasts represented 45% of the visitor profile, while cruise-ship or boat lodging represented 30%. Alaska 2022-2023 Visitor Profile Report
Where spending was distributed
The statewide impact model shows that direct spending was concentrated in three major regions during May 2022-April 2023.
| Region | Direct tourism spending | Share of statewide spending | Modeled visitor trips | Share of modeled volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southcentral | $1.6084 billion | 41% | 1,059,718 | 34% |
| Inside Passage | $1.0365 billion | 27% | 1,332,224 | 43% |
| Interior | $943.9 million | 24% | Not supplied | Not supplied |
Southcentral received $1.6084 billion, or 41% of total direct tourism spending. The Inside Passage received $1.0365 billion, or 27%, and the Interior received $943.9 million, or 24%. The model separately recorded 1,059,718 Southcentral visitor trips, or 34% of statewide modeled volume, and 1,332,224 Inside Passage trips, or 43%. Alaska 2022-2023 Tourism Impact Model
The visitor profile found that 56% of travelers visited the Inside Passage, 54% visited Southcentral, and 26% visited the Interior during summer 2022 and winter 2022-23. These percentages describe visitor reach and are not the same measure as the modeled regional spending shares. Alaska 2022-2023 Visitor Profile Report
An older Mat-Su Borough estimate illustrates local allocation. Out-of-state visitors spent an estimated $98 million in the borough during calendar year 2016, generating an estimated $133 million in total economic output. The spending included $27 million for food and beverage, $23 million for lodging, $23 million for tours and activities, $17 million for transportation, and $8 million for gifts and clothing. The borough recorded an estimated 391,000 out-of-state visitors: 348,000 in summer and 43,000 in fall and winter. Economic Impact of the Visitor Industry in the Mat-Su Borough
Cruise tourism and local economies
Juneau’s cruise industry produced $375 million in direct spending during April-October 2023. Cruise passengers accounted for $320 million, cruise lines for $39 million, and crew members for $16 million. Including direct and indirect effects, cruise activity represented $490 million in total spending. The industry was associated with 3,850 jobs and $196 million in labor income. Economic Impact of Juneau’s Cruise Industry
Juneau cruise ships made more than 700 port calls in 2023, bringing 1.67 million passengers and about 36,000 crew members. Passenger volume was 74% above a decade earlier and 28% above the previous 2019 peak. Spending was concentrated in tours and activities at $152 million, or 41%, and retail at $144 million, or 38%. Restaurants and bars received $31 million, transportation $14 million, and state and local government $22 million. Economic Impact of Juneau’s Cruise Industry
The Juneau Cruise Passenger Survey reported average passenger spending of $232 per person in summer 2023. That included $129 on tours and activities, $84 on gifts, souvenirs, and clothing, $17 on food and beverage, and $2 on transportation. Seventy percent of surveyed cruise passengers purchased at least one paid tour. Juneau Cruise Passenger Survey 2023
Parks, public revenue, and destination impacts
National parks were a major measured component of Alaska visitor spending in calendar year 2022. Visitors to Alaska national parks spent $1.1606 billion in the state. That spending supported 16,450 jobs, while the cumulative economic benefit reached $1.7858 billion. National Park Tourism in Alaska Contributes $1.79 Billion to State Economy
Tourism-attributable public revenue was estimated at $193.1 million for calendar year 2025. The total included $49.0 million from Alaska Railroad Corporation and $38.2 million from the Commercial Passenger Vessel tax. Fish and Game licenses and tags contributed $28.2 million. These are estimates of state-attributable tourism revenue for 2025, not direct visitor spending. State of Alaska Revenues Attributable to Tourism, 2025
Ketchikan’s summer 2017 visitor industry generated $223 million in direct spending: $187 million from visitors, $29 million from cruise lines, and $7 million from crew members. After direct and secondary effects, the industry supported 1,750 total jobs and $76 million in labor income. It also generated nearly $19 million in combined borough and city revenue. Ketchikan Summer Visitor Profile and Economic Impact Analysis
The Ketchikan study reported average spending of $872 per person for air visitors, $580 for highway or ferry visitors, and $158 for cruise visitors. Summer 2017 visitor volume totaled 1,059,200, including 1,010,400 cruise visitors, 44,500 air visitors, and 4,300 ferry visitors. Ketchikan Summer Visitor Profile and Economic Impact Analysis