2009 ANNUAL REPORT
2009 Highlights POINTS OF INTEREST: Board of Directors
2
Board Chair and President & CEO
3
Local Mayors
4
Committees
5
Departments
6
Financials
18
2009 was a challenging year for the travel industry in Fairbanks as well as throughout Alaska and the nation. For the first time since 2002, our bed tax revenues are down. 2010 looks to be equally challenging. This winter, Japan Airlines will halve the number of charters to Fairbanks from 18 to nine. And next summer, we anticipate a 30% reduction in capacity for cruise land tours using the rail belt due to the redeployment of two ships from the Gulf of Alaska waters to outside of Alaska.
In October, we hosted the Alaska Travel Industry Association’s annual convention. In preparing for the 500-plus attendees, we reflected on the past five years since the group last met here. Some of the infrastructure improvements that have been made in our community, primarily because of a successful travel industry, included: new Alaska Railroad Fairbanks passenger depot expanded/new University of Alaska Museum of the North expanded/new Fairbanks International Airport five new hotels (although two others have closed, there is a net increase in guest rooms)
Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum Despite the global recession, FCVB has had multiple achievements in 2009 including: Frontier Airlines just announced that it would service the Fairbanks market four times a week from May 14 through September 12, 2010. This decision was the culmination of years of collaboration between the Fairbanks International Airport and FCVB to lure a low-cost carrier to our community. We hope that you will contribute to the success of these flights by choosing to fly Frontier this summer!
Bed Tax Receipts YEAR
FNSB
CITY
COMBINED
2003
1,413,876
1,805,682
3,219,558
2004
1,553,132
2,142,759
3,695,891
2005
1,520,968
2,376,095
3,897,063
2006
1,584,038
2,606,629
4,190,667
2007
1,803,678
2,685,417
4,489,095
2008
1,815,223
2,750,492
4,565,715
2009
1,562,807
2,364,118
3,926,925