Who, what, where, why and how of tourism

Where are visitors to the peninsula going while they're here? Why do they come here? Who are they? Where are they staying? Under the leadership of Executive Director Faron Owen, the Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council has gathered data to help peninsula residents and businesses forecast needs of visitors.

Top four communities visited (by percentage of all visitors):

Seward, 90

Homer, 66

Kenai, 61

Soldotna, 59

Why do they come here (by percentage of all visitors)?

Sightseeing, 90

Wildlife viewing, 75

Shopping, 67

Independent vacation, 64

Taking boat tours, 63

Historical and cultural interests, 53

Participate in fishing charters, 34

Fishing (exclusively), 13

Visiting friends and relatives (exclusively), 5

Who comes to the peninsula (by percentage of all visitors)?:

U.S. residents, 83

Canadians, 10

Oversees (European and Asian), 7

College graduates, 25

Average household income: $60,000

Average size party: 3

Traveling with children: 20

Visitors to Alaska spend an average of six nights of their vacation on the Kenai Peninsula.

Where do they stay (by percentage):

Hotel or motel, 43

Bed-and-breakfast, 24

RV park, 20

Campground, 14

With friends and relatives, 8

Other Alaska destinations visited in addition to the peninsula (by percentage):

Anchorage, 64

Denali, 54

Fairbanks, 32

Valdez, 15

Main reason people don't come to the peninsula: personal or family reasons

Top Alaska tourist attractions:

1- Inside passage

2- Portage glacier

3- Mendenhall glacier

4- Ketchikan totems

5- Denali National Park

13- Prince William Sound

14- Kenai River

18- Chugach State Park

19- Resurrection Bay

22- Alyeska Ski Resort