Elizabeth Hall succeeds her father as President of tour operator John Hall’s Alaska, while the eponymous founder of the family-owned company remains CEO. Her brother Joe Hall is promoted to Chief Operating Officer.
Calgary-based WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, will begin twice-weekly flights between Anchorage and Calgary in 2025.
The Alaska Railroad’s board of directors approved purchase of a $137 million cruise terminal in Seward, making way for construction.
Tour operator John Hall’s Alaska promoted two longtime employees to vice president and added two full-time personnel to strengthen growth in Minnesota and charter operations.
A thirty-year commitment from Royal Caribbean helps the Alaska Railroad make the case for more bonding authority to pay for a more elaborate $137 million passenger dock in Seward.
Governor Mike Dunleavy’s proposed state operating budget for fiscal year 2023 would direct a $5 million federal grant to the Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA). The funding would be on top of a recently approved $10.5 million federal grant that Dunleavy designated to the tourism association in September.
Community visitor centers, roadside cabins, and robust trail systems are essential infrastructure needed to support the multi-billion dollar tourism sector in Alaska.
“As more people are vaccinated, we could see more Americans ready to travel—and travel safely—this summer,” writes a group of visitor bureau leaders. “But as you’ve no doubt seen, Alaska’s tourism businesses face a lot of challenges between now and recovery. As Alaskans working in tourism, we have our work cut out for us.”
This March, Alaska Airlines is scheduled to start welcoming guests on its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Currently, Alaska Airlines don’t have a MAX in its fleet, but expects delivery of the first plane in January, followed by several more throughout 2021.
“COVID has taught us that flexibility in travel is key. As we evolve our approach to travel to include more than 100 safety actions, it’s important to give our guests flexibility when they book by eliminating change fees,” said Andrew Harrison, executive vice president and chief commercial officer for Alaska Airlines.