During 2005 and 2006, University of Alaska Anchorage researchers from the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) conducted field interviews to better understand the size and structure of the nature-based tourism industry in Southeast Alaska, including Sitka.  According to their research, nature-based tourism alone contributed more than $80 million in revenue to the Sitka economy. Professor Steve Colt and researcher Darcy Dugan recently presented the results of their study, “Economics of Nature Based Tourism in Southeast Alaska” in Sitka. Click here to read more and download the ISER presentation. 

Click here to download the ISER Nature Based Tourism in Southeast Alaska presentation  

 
Click here to download the final report Nature-Based Tourism in Southeast Alaska: Results from 2005 and 2006 Field Study

    Every year Sitkans are hosts to visitors from around the world who specifically travel to Sitka to experience the spectacular natural world that we are blessed with as our backyard.  The local businesses that help these visitors experience the natural world that we are so familiar with form an important component of a diverse economy in Sitka.       

    During 2005 and 2006, University of Alaska Anchorage researchers from the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) began an investigation to attempt to figure out what is the contribution of nature-based tourism to the economy of Southeast Alaska towns, including Sitka.  Their work set out to figure out just how much a pristine environment is worth.   The results they found were surprising and attracted national attention.  The USA Today ran the headlines “Nature-based tourism in Southeast Alaska: A Lucrative Venture.”  Here in Sitka we always knew that nature-based tourism forms an important component of the local economy, but the actual values that the ISER study found raised eyebrows locally.      

According to their research, nature-based tourism contributed more than $80 million in revenue to the Sitka economy.  This total reflects a significant local revenue source. “The visitor industry accounts for about 11% of Sitka’s total employment and constitutes one of the growth sectors of Sitka’s economy” comments Hugh Bevan, Executive Director of the Sitka Economic Development Association.      

Many businesses feel that nature-based tourism or eco-tourism will continue to represent an important component of Sitka’s diverse economy. “Sitka has so much to offer.  Nature-based tourism promotes conservation, utilizes the environment in a sustainable way and gives tourists a clear picture of Alaska being an environmentally conscious place.  Sitka has an opportunity to market the area that benefits both the community’s economy and the environment,” notes Michelle Guneaker, owner of Island Fever Diving and Adventures.   According to Beverly Minn, owner of Sitka’s Secret a charter fishing operation and lodge, “Nature-based tourism has been an important part of our business since 1986.”    
     
As a community, Sitkans have taken on the role as stewards of our local environment and in this role we actively take care of our surrounding environment, intelligently plan for the future, and work
together to make the community a quality place to live and work.