Alaska Travel

on location: west ❖

jeff gayduk

Package tours showcase the best of America’s Last Frontier

The majesty of tidewater glaciers enthralls ferry and cruise boat passengers in Prince William Sound.

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sk your travelers what destinations are on their bucket list, and certainly Alaska is going to rank at or near the top. And the vacation most typically associated with Alaska is a cruise. This was definitely my mindset before I had traveled to our 49th state, and while I enjoyed the cruise on my first visit, it wasn’t until I got off the ship that I experi18 August 2010

enced the essence of Alaska.

Likewise, many Alaska vacationers feel they’ve tackled the state after they’ve taken that Inside Passage or Gulf of Alaska cruise. What a surprise awaits them when they too get off the boat.

I recently had the opportunity to travel back to Alaska, courtesy of the Globus family of brands and their Platinum Producers conference, an

exclusive event for their top group customers. The trip was hosted by Premier Alaska Tours, Globus’ land partner, with support from DMOs, hotels, attractions and restaurants.

It was 11 years since my last visit to the Land of the Midnight Sun. The first trip was courtesy of Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam when we took the last cruise of the season from LeisureGroupTravel.com

Jeff Gayduk

Alaska Travel Industry Association/©2007 Michael DeYoung

Excursions in Prince William Sound provide close encounters with glaciers and wildlife.

Vancouver up through the Inside Passage, disembarking in Seward. On the cruise, we experienced great scenery, first-class entertainment, delicious cuisine and port calls that provided a glimpse of Sitka, Juneau, Wrangell and Ketchikan, places that are now welcoming thousands of cruise passengers per day. When our cruise was finished, we picked up our rental car and commenced on our journey to Alaska’s inLeisureGroupTravel.com

terior, taking in the most spectacular fall foliage scenery imaginable (note that it was early September). Reflecting back on that trip, my most vivid memories are not of the midnight buffet or Lido deck, but of the unspoiled vistas that awaited around nearly every curve.

Mike Schields, director of group sales and emerging markets for the Globus family of brands and a former cruise industry executive, commented,

“While the most common way for most people to see Alaska for the first time is on an Inside Passage cruise, the most comprehensive and exciting way to see this great state is on the land packages. On the many programs that the Globus family of brands offers, the opportunities to see wildlife and incredible scenery are all magnified. You can see and touch Alaska close-up and also have the opportunity to customize your experience with things like flightseeing over glaciers, jet boats on the many rivers, fishing and hiking, and more. From 8 to 80, Alaska has something for everyone, and its potential, especially as a family destination, is unmatched.”

The comment was echoed by Tim Worthen, CEO of Premier Alaska Tours. “The vast majority of our Alaska guests travel on a cruise ship. Many add on extensive pre/post land tours in order to get off the ship to touch and feel more of Alaska.They want to see the animals in Denali or get up closer to the mountains with a nice hike. Alaska is twice as big as Texas so it is hard to experience it without traveling inland on a land tour.”

(Worthen should know. A 25-year veteran of Alaska tourism, he’s seen the industry grow up before his eyes.)

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on location: west ❖ to go explore. Anchorage is also the epicenter of Southcentral Alaska and the jumping-off point for day tours to places like Prince William Sound, Valdez, Eagle River and Wasilla, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race headquarters.

Departing on morning two, our group traveled to Girdwood, then took the short drive to Whittier, where we embarked on the 26 Glaciers Cruise on Prince William Sound. As lunch was served onboard, our catamaran sped toward College Fjord, with glacial sightings and U.S. Forest Service ranger commentary en route. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, but our group was fortunate to encounter hundreds of seals while they frolicked in the chilly waters. We also had a close encounter with a glacier not ever experienced on large cruise ships. Our ship navigated deftly through the ice with its reinforced hull – we could almost touch the passing glacial melt.

The Kenai Peninsula is a popular trip from Anchorage. In Kenai Fjords National Park, glaciers, earthquakes and ocean storms are the architects. Ice worms, bears and whales make their home in this land of constant change.

Alaska Travel Industry Association

Cruise excursions reveal the splendor of Kenai Fjords in Southcentral Alaska.

HOME BASE: ANCHORAGE Fast forward to May 2010, I land in Anchorage at 10 p.m. (yes, the sun is still shining, somewhat disorienting).

Anchorage is Alaska’s hub of passenger air traffic, with non-stop service to West Coast gateways and seasonal service to Chicago, Dallas and Minneapolis. The airport is also a worldwide hub of air cargo due to its unique global location.

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For its size (just under 300,000) Anchorage is remarkably cosmopolitan.

Retailers like Nordstrom, performing arts centers, live theater and a wide variety of upscale restaurants rival that of a city three times its size.

With its relatively flat terrain, Anchorage is simple to navigate, but the views of six mountain ranges provide motivation

Camera-toting tourists are always on the lookout for whales and other entertaining marine life on Kenai Fjords cruises.

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GLOBUS & COSMOS PROGRAMS oth Globus and Cosmos have a variety of tour programs in Alaska. According to Stephanie Parr, director of contracting for Globus, “Alaska is so much more then the ports of call visited by those traveling on cruise ships! Our interior packages help travelers experience the destination and learn about the incredible strength and humor of the Alaskan people, their unique way of life, their connection to the beautiful landscape and their pride in their state.

Globus family of brands partners with so many wonderful Alaskan companies to ensure that you have an opportunity to experience bits of real Alaska!

“Globus is pleased to partner with incredible companies in Alaska, and as a result of these partnerships is able to offer

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authentic experiences for those wishing to uncover Alaska. Whether it’s on one of our Globus or Cosmos touring vacations, or independently with Monograms, we provide memorable opportunities. For groups wishing to incorporate different experiences, we can also customize a land tour making it unique to your group.”

Here’s a rundown of the current Globus & Cosmos product:

on location: west icebergs that are so close you can touch them. Groups navigate the Placer River through Class I and II rapids that are fun but mild. As Worthen points out, “Many guests are now doing jet boat rides, flight-seeing, hiking, and I am amazed how many 65-year-olds do whitewater rafting. The baby boomer generation is a lot more adventurous and wants time to explore.”

GLOB US Spectacular Alaska!

10 days from $2,579 land only; air-inclusive pricing available Anchorage, Valdez, Fairbanks, Denali National Park

Nature’s Best: Alaska 7 days from $1,949 land only; air-inclusive pricing available Fairbanks, Denali National Park, Anchorage

Ultimate Alaska & the Yukon Alaska Travel Industry Association

13 days from $3,109 land only; air-inclusive pricing available Anchorage, Denali National Park, Fairbanks, Dawson City, Whitehorse, Tok, Valdez

C OSM OS Alaskan Adventure 14 days from $1,409 land only; air-inclusive pricing available Anchorage, Fairbanks, Denali National Park

Alaska & the Yukon 12 days from $2,219 land only; air-inclusive pricing available 12 days from Anchorage, Tok, Whitehorse, Dawson City, Fairbanks, Denali National Park

Discover Kenai Fjords via a cruise and wildlife tour, or if your group desires to get up close and personal with a glacier, try glacier hikes or helicopter hikes. Guests need to be physically fit and dress appropriately for this oncein-a-lifetime experience, so it’s not for everyone.

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There’s a variety of float trips and whitewater expeditions available throughout the area. Glacier Discovery Tour includes a ride aboard the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Spencer Lake. After a brief transport, your group is served lunch and then launched in rafts. Spencer Lake is full of crumbling

Keep an eye out for wildlife on bus tours of Denali National Park.

HEADING NORTH Alaska’s Interior is the next stop for most groups, including ours. This region is home to Denali National Park and Fairbanks, the state’s second largest population center and epicenter of the Alaskan Gold Rush.

Getting to Denali takes a half-day and you can either coach or take the train. We coached up and saved the best for last as our return trip aboard the Alaska Railroad was a memory maker. Our GoldStar (an upgrade for tour groups) service included plush seating in an upper-level dome car, priority seating in the lower-level dining room and a private outdoor viewing LeisureGroupTravel.com

deck. There’s simply no better way to take in the mountain vistas, rivers and lakes, flowers and fauna than from the comfort of the Alaska Railroad.

Denali is home to Mt. McKinley, the highest peak in North America at 20,320 feet. Consider yourself lucky to see the peak, as we were on our visit.

“The Great One” (or “Denali” in the native tongue) shows off its summit just 20% of the time. Some 400,000 visitors experience Denali National Park each year, mostly from May through September. Although the park is vast (roughly the size of Massachusetts), automobile access is limited to the first 15 miles for tourists. After a stop at the welcome center, groups hop aboard the four-hour Denali Natural History tour, or the eight-hour Tundra Wilderness excursion. Both programs are operated by the National Park Service aboard modified school buses.

Certified driver/naturalist guides provide rolling commentary on the history of the park while keeping a keen eye out for wildlife. Several interpretative stops along the way enhance the experience, including the Wilderness Access Center, where the film Across Time and Tundra is shown.

Worthen said, “When I started in the travel industry 25 years ago in Alaska, all tours operated with just one night in Denali National Park with the Tundra Wilderness bus tour. Recently many of the tour patterns have changed to two nights in Denali because of so many great activities, and this is one of the highlights of a land tour.”

It Pays to Live in Alaska – Literally laska’s rich oil reserves and small population base pay big dividends for its residents. Alaska takes care of its residents with perks like free college tuition and the annual oil stipend. From oil funds in 2009, a check for $1,305 was cut for every man, woman and child in the state sans felons, proving once again that crime doesn’t pay!

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ALASKA Vacations begin here.

The Alaska Railroad showcases adventure with a full summer schedule of day tours and vacation packages including stops at two National Parks. Travelers journey through alpine forests, coastal regions, and traverse two major mountain ranges – in a land twice the size of Texas. Ask about 10% discount for groups.

For information call 1-800-544-0552 or (907) 265-2494.

AlaskaRailroad.com

ADVENTURE A DVENTURE IS IS EEVERYWHERE VERYWHERE

If you’re looking for a vacation experience that you will never forget, go deep inside Alaska, where the unparalleled meets the unexpected. Come experience the light, energy and warmth of Fairbanks that is found nowhere else on Earth.

It’s the unexpected Alaska. For your free Visitors Guide and more information on Fairbanks and Interior Alaska contact 1-877-551-1728 ext. 3771

W W W . E X P L O R E FA I R B A N K S . C O M LeisureGroupTravel.com

on location: west ❖

Groups in Fairbanks enjoy the Riverboat Discovery sternwheeler cruise.

THE RUSH TO FAIRBANKS Although our group didn’t make it to Fairbanks, it’s a regular stop on Globus’ Alaska itineraries. In 1902 Italian immigrant Felix Pedro struck

gold just 16 miles north of Fairbanks.

This event coincided with the building of a trading post on the banks of the Chena River. The rush to Fairbanks was on, with prospectors flooding the

ALASKA FAST FACTS • 586,000 square miles • Equal to 20% of the entire U.S. land mass • More wilderness than the other 49 states combined • 47,330 miles of coastline on two oceans and three seas • The highest mountain peak in North America (McKinley) • 17 of the 20 highest mountains in North America • 3,000,000 lakes and rivers

area to pan for gold. History lives on today with visitor attractions and modern-day mining operations celebrating the quest for gold. Groups can see the largest display of gold at the University of Alaska’s Museum of the North, visit the Pedro Monument in tribute to that first discovery and try their hand at gold panning.

Fairbanks is also one of the best viewing spots for the aurora borealis, commonly referred to as the northern lights. These mysterious yellow, green and red lights brighten the nighttime skies in a colorful display as curtains of colored light in the upper atmosphere, caused by magnetic disturbances from the sun, collide with atoms. While intensity varies, the most common yellow-green glow occurs heavily between late August and April.

Popular touring options in Fairbanks include a visit to the El Dorado Gold Mine. Guests ride the Tanana Valley Railroad for an adventure into the gold fields, a two-hour guided tour that takes you through a permafrost tunnel. Meet and talk with Alaska miners, and after a short course in gold mining, grab a “poke” and try panning for gold.

Groups enjoy the Riverboat Discovery sternwheeler cruise, a threehour journey into the heart of Alaska.

See a bush floatplane taking off, visit the home and kennels of the late fourtime Iditarod winner Susan Butcher, and gain insight into the ancient Athabascan Indian culture.

• Most (and largest) glaciers on earth • 1,800 islands • 70 volcanoes (biggest volcanic eruption in recorded histor y) • Longest sheltered waterway on earth • Largest temperate rain forest in North America (Inside Passage) • Most Northern, Western and Eastern state in the U.S. * Courtesy Alaska Travel Industry Association

I DID A WHAT? When I first heard we were headed to a dog kennel I was less than enthused. I’m a big fan of pooches, but hey, we’ve all been to the humane society once or twice, right? Martin Buser’s Happy Trails Kennel is far from a dog kennel. It’s more like a crash course in Alaska’s famous sled race, the Iditarod.

Alaska Travel Industry Association/©2007 Michael DeYoung

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GLOBUS WELCOMES PLATINUM PRODUCERS TO ALASKA Jeff Gayduk

Visitors to Happy Trails Kennel learn all about the Iditarod sled dog race. ard work does pay off, at least if you’re one of the Globus family of brands top group producers. The company hosted 18 of its best customers in Alaska this May for its 2nd annual Platinum Producers conference. According to Mike Schields, director of groups and emerging markets for the firm, “Three

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“The event has three main purposes.

First, we want to reward top producers and thank them for a job well done.

Second, obviously these groups are doing something right, so we sought to create an environment where they could share ideas that would collectively grow their businesses. Third, it gives our best customers a chance to personally experience one of our top destinations, and bring their groups back.” —Mike Schields

Our host for the day was Martin himself, a three-time winner of the 1,150mile race from Anchorage to Nome.

Martin and 40-something of his furry companions welcomed us. He explained the history of this celebrated event, outlined the preparation needed by both racer and the team of dogs, and shared some course strategy. As he sadLeisureGroupTravel.com

years ago, we did a careful analysis of our top producers and started to see patterns emerge. From this initial study we conceived the idea of Platinum Producers.”

During the conference, participants gathered for a half-day roundtable business forum where they discussed sales and marketing strategies. Topics included direct mail, travel presentation tips, website development, e-marketing, customer service techniques and social networking. This unique forum allows participants to learn from each other in a non-competitive environment.

The list of attendees at this year’s event was as diverse as the group market. Customers represented radio stations, religious groups, banks, park districts, alumni groups, schools and independent travel clubs. “It really indicates the growth and diversity of the group marketplace,” said Schields.

dled up a demonstration team, there was a cacophony of “pick me” howling and barking as every member of the pack tried to grab his attention for the jaunt around the ground. We left there with a great appreciation for this event, and a team to root for next March!

The Globus family has added more of these up-close-and-personal-type

experiences for their groups. Other encounters include meeting an actual mountain climber who has ascended Mt. McKinley, a bush pilot who delivers mail in Alaska, or an Inupiat (Eskimo) who lives on the edge of the frozen ocean. “The guests have appreciated the special programs where we have lined up interactions with locals who tell of their lifestyle,” according to Worthen. “They can help bring Alaska alive.”

Alaska is truly a place where even seasoned travelers are humbled.

Stephanie Parr manages the contracting department for Globus. She’s on the road constantly, discovering new destinations and refining itineraries.

“Each visit has provided me with unique opportunities and experiences.

Rafts of sea otters in Prince William Sound or a mama black bear and cubs.

Time spent with an Iditarod champion at his kennel, a talk with a naturalist in Denali, awe-inspiring flight-seeing. It’s just such a dramatic, bold landscape and a humbling place to visit!”

Photos don’t do Alaska justice.

They can show the tall mountains, a grizzly bear or a winding river, but they don’t put you there to experience it.

They don’t get you up close and personal with the Alaskan people who share their stories and love for this land. And they don’t help you capture the vastness of this land where seemingly around every corner another 50mile-long valley stretches out in front of you. That’s the Alaska land tour experience that awaits. LGT —————————————— For more information, contact the Alaska Travel Industry Association, 800-667-8489; travelalaska.com.

Obtain Alaska visitor guides and itineraries – and contact groupfriendly suppliers directly – at leisuregrouptravel.com/instant-info August 2010 25