CITY OF HOMER
HOMER, ALASKA
Wythe
RESOLUTION 05-18
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF HOMER, ALASKA REQUESTING THAT THE STATE OF ALASKA CONSIDER WITHHOLDING ALL PUBLIC FUNDING OF THE ALASKA TOURISM INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION (ATIA) UNLESS AND UNTIL THE ATIA RECOGNIZES AND INCLUDES THE KENAI PENINSULA AS A SEPARATE DESTINATION WITHIN THE OFFICIAL STATE VACATION PLANNER.
WHEREAS, the Alaska Tourism Industry Association (ATIA) is the State of Alaska’s designated statewide marketing organization, and is privately run but receives public funds; and
WHEREAS, the ATIA’s “Official State Vacation Planner” fails to identify the Kenai Peninsula as a separate destination with the State, but instead includes it as part of a huge region named SOUTHCENTRAL, including Kodiak, Talkeetna, Glennallen and Valdez; and
WHEREAS, the ATIA Board of Directors has repeatedly rejected requests by the Kenai Peninsula Chambers, Borough Government, and local tourism businesses to identify the Kenai Peninsula in their planner as a separate region; and
WHEREAS, the term SOUTHCENTRAL discourages independent travel and lacks relevance to modern visitors seeking more intimate and specific destinations; and
WHEREAS, the existing geopolitical boundary identified as SOUTHCENTRAL within the Planner has no basis in common geographic, cultural, social or recreational characteristics, making it an ineffective tool for promoting tourism; and
WHEREAS, creating a separate destination for the Kenai Peninsula within the Planner has widespread support among Kenai Peninsula residents; and
WHEREAS, the Kenai Peninsula has a mature visitor industry which can (and historically has) actively contributed to the Alaska visitor industry; and
WHEREAS, the Kenai Peninsula has a distinct Political boundary defined by a Borough which reflects the natural “borders” of visitor related services; and
WHEREAS, the Kenai Peninsula’s Regional Marketing Organization (KPTMC) is the state’s third largest membership based marketing organization, has been in existence for fourteen years and whose mission is to “market the Kenai Peninsula as a singular destination”; and Statistics show that the majority of visitors to the Kenai visit multiple Peninsula destinations and consider it to be a singular destination; and
WHEREAS, the Kenai River, Kachemak Bay State Park and Kenai Fiords National Park, to name but a few, have national recognition and are worthy of distinct marketing efforts, which are best coordinated at a Borough, not statewide level; and
WHEREAS, ATIA’s membership consists of a high percentage of Kenai Peninsula based businesses, and yet no Board seats are allocated permanently to this large and mostly “rural” constituency. Instead they must challenge Anchorage based business leaders or run “at large”.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the Homer City Council hereby requests that the State of Alaska consider withholding all public funding of ATIA unless and until the ATIA recognizes and includes the Kenai Peninsula as a separate destination within the Official State Vacation Planner. (In lieu of this, that the Homer City Council hereby requests that the State consider the repeated wishes of the Kenai Peninsula’s elected representatives when funding the ATIA in 2005-6.)
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Homer City Council on the 14th day of February, 2005.
CITY OF HOMER
____________________________________
JAMES C. HORNADAY, MAYOR
ATTEST:
___________________________________
MARY L. CALHOUN, CMC, CITY CLERK
Fiscal
note: NA