By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Two local nonprofits got word this week that they will receive major state grants to market Sitka as a travel destination.
Spruce Root will receive $1.56 million and the Sitka Chamber of Commerce’s Visit Sitka is slated to receive $235,200. The Chamber has also announced its award of a separate grant to promote COVID-19 vaccination in Sitka.
Chamber Executive Director Rachel Roy said the Chamber’s visitor-related grant will be spent on promoting Sitka for the visitor season now underway.
Spruce Root, a Native-led nonprofit community development financial institution serving all of Southeast, plans to use its funds to promote Southeast as a COVID-safe destination, including creation of a website with information about communities for visitors to help them stay safe.
The funds came through the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, which selected 18 recipients from throughout the state for a share of $10 million from the COVID-safe Travel Grant Program.
The department’s news release said the grants area “designed for rapid-deployment of marketing campaigns to promote Alaska as a COVID-Safe travel destination for the Summer of 2021.” Among the qualifications for receiving a grant were “ability to deploy a marketing campaign no later than June 15, 2021.”
Spruce Root Executive Director Alana Peterson said the main idea for the website will be providing information on “how to safely get to Alaska, what you need to know about Southeast, promoting different activities.”
Spruce Root, founded in 2012, has a strong partnership with Sealaska Corp. and Sealaska Heritage Institute.
Peterson is pleased Spruce Root was a recipient, although the organization can’t actually spend much to administer the funds.
“We’re trying to figure out how to make it work,” she added. “But I’m excited about it. It’s a great opportunity to get freelancers paid, and to pursue regenerative tourism.”
Peterson described regenerative tourism as “working with the community and making sure tourism meets the needs of the community and community partners.”
Citing Allen Marine as a good model of a company that participates in “regenerative tourism,” Peterson said the company works closely with smaller communities, “not just coming in and expecting the community to be ready.”
Mary Goddard is the regional catalyst for regenerative tourism for Allen Marine.
Photographers, videographers and designers will be among the beneficiaries of the funds through Spruce Root.
The Chamber and Visit Sitka, the destination marketing organization that the Chamber operates under contract with the city, are making plans to market Sitka as a “COVID-safe destination” in the summer of 2021.
The DECC said the grant allows for marketing efforts to target in-state, independent, national or international travelers and markets,
Visit Sitka and the Chamber were eligible as a nonprofit organization. And along with the other applicants, they were assessed for quality, overall responsiveness and “ability to deploy a marketing campaign no later than June 15, 2021.”
Visit Sitka every year presents a marketing strategy to the Assembly as part of its annual request for funding. It includes advertising through a number of media, developing the Visit Sitka webpage, visibility through various media outlets, hosting travel journalists in Sitka, and publication of a visitor guide.
“All of this money will go toward additional programs: search engine marketing, video development, email and direct mail marketing, and a little print media and social media promotion,” Roy said. “Additionally we’ll be creating travel planner toolkits, to educate on safe travel to Sitka.”
The Chamber has received a separate $45,000 grant through the Department of Health and Social Services and Alaska Chamber of Commerce to provide incentives to “encourage the remaining folks who want to be vaccinated to be vaccinated.”
Roy said there’s no shortage of ideas for events, similar to those held around the U.S. to promote COVID vaccinations. They could include drawings for prizes, gift certificates and “pop-up” events, and promotion of the availability of the vaccines at clinics and walk-in appointments.
She noted that the recently approved eligibility of the 12-15 year old age group for vaccination presents the opportunity for a program aimed at that cohort.
“This is providing incentives to encourage those who want to be vaccinated to get vaccinated,” Roy said, adding, “I have no desire to talk anyone into getting a vaccination who doesn’t want it.”
She said the funds for this effort will benefit local businesses, also.
“We get to spend the money locally, and encourage local shopping,” Roy said.
