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This Bill provides for an $18 million Core Marketing Program and an additional $8.5 million for an "Independent Traveler Campaign".
HOUSE BILL NO. 167
"An Act making special appropriations for a contract with a qualified trade association and for a marketing program; and providing for an effective date."
Full Text Here
House Bill 167 begins with several "legislative findings" that show the value of the industry and importance of funding a statewide marketing effort.
The bill specifies: "The sum of $18,000,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development for a contract with a qualified trade association selected under AS 44.33.125." As the State's "Qualified Trade Association (QTA) " ATIA would be the recipient. With a 10% match (created by HB 147) this would give us a Statewide Tourism Marketing Program of $20 million.
ATIA has believed for years that a $20 million Statewide Tourism Marketing Campaign is what is required to insure that adequate marketing of Alaska can be accomplished in today's increasingly cluttered and competitive travel marketing arena.
HB 167's next provision calls for: "The sum of $8,500,000 is appropriated from the vehicle rental tax account (AS 43.52.080) in the general fund to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development under AS 44.33.125(d) for a marketing program targeted toward independent travelers." Once again, as Alaska's QTA, ATIA would receive this funding. This part of the appropriation delivers on the original intent of the statewide vehicle rental tax which specifically called for receipts to be used for destination marketing efforts.
These two
provisions are the keys to our FY08 funding request. Governor Palin's proposed FY08 Budget contains $5 million for the Statewide Tourism Marketing program and $600,000 from the Vehicle Rental Tax account for an Independent Traveler Campaign (both items are "status quo" from the FY07 budget).
HB 167 provides the legislature an opportunity to allow us to explain why we believe that the Governor's budget is inadequate: in short, passage of the Cruise Ship Ballot Initiative this August "broke" the voluntary model we've been working under since ATIA was founded in 2000. HB 167 repairs the funding mechanism and re-invests some of the State's net return from the travel and tourism industry.
We're asking all our members to call, write and e-mail their Representative and request that they vote for HB167 and insure that it's funding provisions are included in the final budget passed at the end of the session.
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