The Alaska Cruise Association (ACA) was created in 2007 for the purpose of strengthening relationships with businesses and communities. It is a not-for-profit organization whose membership includes the major cruise tour companies operating in Alaska.
The goal of the Alaska Cruise Association is to improve communications, build partnerships with local businesses and work with civic leaders to expand economic benefits to communities. The organization is based in Anchorage, Alaska and is led by ACA president and former State Senator John Binkley.
Alaska’s package tour business got its start in the 1920s when steamships first brought visitors north for sightseeing tours in the Interior. Modern-day ships are a far cry from the early days but cruise-based travel remains one of the most popular ways to see Alaska. Today, approximately 60 percent of Alaska visitors arrive or depart via cruise ship. Overall, the state’s visitor industry has grown to one of the most important economic engines in Alaska, hosting more than 1.63 million people each year and accounting for 40,000 jobs.
This season, 28 ACA-operated ships will bring an estimated 1 million visitors to Alaska from late April through October, with departures from Vancouver, Seattle and San Francisco. But unlike many destinations, Alaska’s cruise business isn’t limited to port communities. Cruise passengers in Alaska travel throughout the state on land-based tours or on their own, pre- or post-cruise. Cruise companies invest millions of dollars each year in land-based construction, equipment and infrastructure improvements.
The economic impact of the cruise industry continues to be significant. The estimated spending in Alaska by cruise companies, passengers and crew is in excess of $767 million per year. The McDowell Group further estimates the total dollars moving through the Alaska economy each year as a result of the cruise industry is $1.35 billion.
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