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The Alaska visitors industry has closed out its $4 million emergency oil spill marketing program with a surplus of $100,000 reserved for further action if necessary.
Exxon agreed in May to contribute $4 million to an emergency campaign to reassure potential visitors to Alaska that the state is still a pristine destination, notwithstanding the regional damage from the sound.
The association managed the program, which placed nationwide advertisements on television, newspapers, magazines and other outlets, using Marilyn Monroe's beauty mark as the major attention-getting device.
Although Valdez operators have noted a sharp drop-off in travel to that destination, preliminary 1989 trends statewide indicate that this year will be strong, said industry people who attended a day-long AVA meeting and familiarization trip from Anchorage to Valdez (a "fam" trip in industry lingo).
Nearly 100 visitor industry leaders rode along with the Alaska Visitors Association board of directors' meeting aboard the MV Klondike Aug. 12 in Prince William Sound.
Two busloads of tourism operators were ferried from four downtown Anchorage hotels via GrayLine of Alaska to the Alaska Railroad's Whittier shuttle at portage. The group boarded the Klondike in Whittier, seeing a portion of Phillips Cruises' "26 Glaciers in One Day Tour," and transferring to Stan Stephens Charters' Glacier Spirit for the remainder of the crossing to Columbia Glacier, Growler Island and Valdez. ERA Aviation flew the group from Valdez to Anchorage
No oil was visible along this traditional route of the tourist by ferry or charter; sea otters were plentiful; and pink and silver salmon literally jumped...