As summer gets underway in Haines, amid another season of few cruise ships and a closed border with Canada, the Haines Economic Development Corp. is working to draw more visitors to town through online marketing — and is seeing positive results.
Last month, HEDC was awarded $190,000 through the state’s COVID-Safe Travel Promotion and Marketing Grant, and the organization is using that money to work with Whitehorse’s Aasman Brand Communications to develop online campaigns.
“It’s in keeping with the whole purpose behind the grant which was to reinforce for the traveling public that Alaska and Haines in particular is a great option to consider for travel, and as the pandemic and travel restrictions ease, come on down to Haines,” said HEDC program manager Lee Hart.
Hart said their efforts are off to a good start, after a Fourth of July campaign exceeded expectations on social media. In five days, they saw 370 click-throughs.
“For that period of time for a brand-new campaign, that is a pretty high rate of return on an investment in a campaign,” said Hart. “I think it’s a good sign that people are craving that information about what’s going on in Haines.”
She said HEDC was mostly targeting Skagway and Juneau residents at first.
“A lot of times in destination marketing you have your different audiences and one of them is friends and family,” said Hart, who said they’ll soon expand to reach potential visitors from the Lower 48.
Some of their online efforts are highlighting the return of the Southeast Alaska State Fair. The fair was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but it returns on July 29.
Hart said it’s a tight turnaround, to try to convince visitors to come to Haines this summer. “It’s always challenging to try to get and reach consumers in the same season that you want them to come.”
Still, Hart said, people are making travel decisions with a shorter lead time than is typical. Even if travelers don’t make it to Haines this summer, Hart said she expects this summer’s amplified advertising campaigns to have a lasting impact.
“It’s going to elevate the profile of this community in really positive ways that’s going to last beyond this summer for us,” she said.
Hart said the project is fluid, and HEDC will change its strategy if the Canadian border reopens to non-essential travel.
HEDC is working with the Haines Borough Tourism Department, and together they’re building a library of photos and videos that the tourism department can use now and in the future.
“We’re just thankful to the governor and Department of Commerce for recognizing the need to jumpstart tourism and we’re so glad they felt like Haines deserved a grant,” said Hart. “And I think it’s hopefully making a difference.”
The money from the state grant must be spent by mid-August.