01/26/2001 03:25 PM House L&C

                     ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                 
                           JOINT MEETING                                                                                      
            HOUSE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                       
       HOUSE COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                  
                         January 26, 2001                                                                                       
                             3:25 p.m.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
OVERVIEW: ALASKA TRAVEL INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TAPES                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
01-6, SIDES A & B                                                                                                               
[Please  note  that these  are  House Labor  and  Commerce  Standing                                                            
Committee tapes.]                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                              
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LISA  MURKOWSKI,  Chair,  House Labor  and  Commerce                                                            
Standing Committee  convened the joint House Community  and Regional                                                            
Affairs, and Labor and Commerce Committee meeting at 3:25 p.m.                                                                  
                                                                                                                              
PRESENT                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Committee members  present were Representatives  Murkowski,  Morgan,                                                            
Meyer,  Rokeberg, Halcro,  Scalzi,  Kerttula, Crawford,  Guess,  and                                                            
Hayes.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                              
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
ANN CAMPBELL,  Chair,  Alaska Travel  Industry  Association  (ATIA),                                                            
reported  that the  ATIA is the  new member-based  visitor  industry                                                            
trade association  for Alaska.  ATIA  is the result of an  industry-                                                            
led initiative to regain  Alaska's competitive position as a visitor                                                            
destination   and   to  consolidate   Alaska's   statewide   tourism                                                            
organizations  which include: the  Alaska Tourism Marketing  Council                                                            
(ATMC),  the Alaska Visitors  Association  (AVA), and the  marketing                                                            
functions of the Alaska Division of Tourism.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. CAMPBELL  reported  that the ATIA  took over  marketing for  the                                                            
visitor  industry  in July  of 2000.    Its membership  has  reached                                                            
approximately  900 and consists  of small  businesses including  bed                                                            
and  breakfasts,  charter companies,  gift  shops,  hotels,  guiding                                                            
companies, lodges, and cruise lines.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
TINA LINDGREN, President,  Alaska Travel Industry Association, spoke                                                            
at length about AITA's  marketing plan and noted that the five major                                                            
components  of the  program include  consumer  and niche  marketing,                                                            
trade and international  marketing, inquiry fulfillment,  and market                                                            
research.    ATIA's  advertising  strategy   includes  direct  mail,                                                            
magazine ads, and the Internet.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. LINDGREN  responded  to a  variety of  budget-related  questions                                                            
from the committee  and remarked that  $10 million is a good  figure                                                            
to run  a national marketing  campaign for  Alaska.  She also  noted                                                            
that the entire state benefits from such an investment.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
ANNOUNCEMENTS                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
There were no announcements.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                              
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                              
CHAIR MURKOWSKI adjourned the joint meeting at 4:30 p.m.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
NOTE:   The meeting  was  recorded and  handwritten  log notes  were                                                            
taken.   A copy  of the tape(s)  and  log notes may  be obtained  by                                                            
contacting  the  House Records  Office  at  State Capitol,  Room  3,                                                            
Juneau, Alaska   99801 (mailing address), (907) 465-2214,  and after                                                            
adjournment of the second  session of the Twenty-Second Alaska State                                                            
Legislature  this  information  may be  obtained by  contacting  the                                                            
Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.