For the past couple of weeks, I found myself cruising the Alaska panhandle aboard the Holland America Line ship the ms Statendam. During the voyage it was interesting to check out how the quintet of communities on the route marketed themselves.
Our first stop was Ketchikan, the former mining and salmon canning centre, just north of Prince Rupert. More recently the town has morphed into a major fishing port and cruise ship hub. It offers a variety of sightseeing tours and access to local attractions, along with the requisite array of souvenir shops, including the Tongass Trading Co., billed as "Alaska's ultimate shopping adventure."
Juneau, the Alaska capital, offers visitors who step off the ship a photo-op with an enterprising local attired in a moose costume. Once they slip through the gauntlet of dockside vendors flogging guided tours of every description, visitors can shop, tour various historic sites, or get whisked up to the commanding heights overlooking the city via a nearby gondola.
Skagway, the third destination on the trip, was made famous during the effervescent days of the Klondike gold rush. From one end of town to the other, this is a time capsule with classic wooden sidewalks and frontier buildings transformed into souvenir shops and other businesses. One of the most compelling Skagway tourist experiences is the classic White Pass Railroad, built to transport prospectors in the early 1900s and designated as an international historic engineering landmark.
Haines, just south of Skagway, refers to itself as the "Adventure Capital of Alaska." It offers an eclectic collection of attractions ranging from a hammer museum to displays of traditional Native art and culture. The town boasts the acclaimed Kroschel Wildlife Centre, a family-owned refuge for orphaned and rescued wildlife. Every November the Haines area lays claim to hosting "the largest congregation of American bald eagles in the world."
Seward, the northernmost leg on the itinerary, is the start of the legendary Iditarod dogsled race. It bills itself as "the ultimate playground for active folks of all ages and abilities." It is also home to the Alaskan SeaLife Centre, a $35 million, world-class facility showcasing every conceivable indigenous furred, feathered and gilled aquatic denizen.
So in terms of leveraging our assets, where are we relative to our enterprising Alaskan neighbours? Squamish certainly has a similar impressive geographic location and wildlife population. We've made considerable headway over the past decade when it comes to a co-ordinated promotion and branding effort. Attractions like the Sea to Sky Gondola, the West Coast Heritage Railway Park, the Brackendale Art Gallery and operations like the Sea to Sky Adventure Co. are paving the way. And who knows, some form of cruise ship-based tourism industry could be in the works once the highly anticipated Squamish Oceanfront Development takes shape.
