Travel Impressions is headed north to the Last Frontier. The Farmingdale, N.Y.-based tour operator is offering Alaska, for the first time ever, as the latest destination in its product portfolio, with five escorted tours and 41 guaranteed departures to the state introduced for 2012.
The addition of Alaska was a logical progression for Travel Impressions, according to John Hanratty, senior vice president and chief marketing officer.
"We've been trying to ... fill in all the blanks in the Travel Impressions portfolio; we've been marching up the Pacific," he said, noting the operator in the last few years added Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and western U.S. destinations such as Reno, Nev., and Scottsdale and Tucson, Ariz., to its lineup.
"So we thought it was a natural to add Alaska, as we've had Hawaii in the program for umpteen years," Hanratty said.
Best of Alaska
The operator's five escorted tours in Alaska aim to offer up a broad sampling of the state's best attractions and activities, including wildlife encounters, scenic journeys by motorcoach and the Alaska Railroad and small-ship excursions and riverboat trips.
As of press time, Travel Impressions had received one Alaska booking, for its Denali Express Tour. The three-night itinerary, from $920, features Anchorage and Denali and will have 17 Tuesday departures, starting May 15.
Given the Alaska lineup's recent debut, the operator's first escorted tour to the state -- the sole, Feb. 27 departure of its six-night, $1,619 Winter Extravaganza Escorted Land Tour, which incorporated the start of the famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race -- did not attract any consumer bookings, Hanratty said.
"This year, we're sending a couple of [employees] to experience it," he said. "But it definitely will be offered again next year."
Hanratty expressed confidence in the eventual popularity of the Alaska product.
"We expect in the first year we're going to have a couple hundred passengers, and that can certainly expand as we go forward, without a doubt."
In addition to the Denali Express Tour, Travel Impressions' Alaska lineup for the rest of 2012 includes:
- The Alaska Explorer Land Tour: Six nights, priced from $1,469, featuring Fairbanks, Denali National Park and Anchorage. Ten guaranteed departures on Mondays, starting May 21.
- The Alaska National Parks Tour: Seven nights, from $1,913, featuring Anchorage, Denali National Park, Seward and Girdwood. Three guaranteed departures: May 29, July 10 and Aug. 21.
- The Grand Alaska Land Tour: Nine nights, from $1,989, featuring Anchorage, Valdez, Fairbanks and Denali National Park. Ten departures on Fridays, starting May 18.
Attractions included on many of the tours are the Alaska Native Heritage Center, Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Alaska SeaLife Center, Fairbanks Museum, Iditarod headquarters and the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage.
Excursions include a "tundra wilderness tour" and also city tours in Fairbanks and Anchorage as well as trips to Denali, Kenai Fjords National Park and Valdez, known as "Alaska's Little Switzerland." Other activities include a tram ride on Mount Alyeska for views of the Turnagain Arm inlet and cruises on the Chena River and Prince William Sound.
Travel Impressions' Alaska itineraries include transfers, hotel accommodations, taxes and some meals, including breakfast, lunch, snacks and Alaskan-style dinners.
Hanratty said that in compiling its Alaska itineraries, Travel Impressions has "touched on everything."
"But the most important thing for us is that these are guaranteed departures, which is always vital when you're in the escorted business," he noted. "So we took nothing in terms of anything that wouldn't depart. There's lots of opportunity there."
Agent education
Travel Impressions is taking a two-pronged approach to educating its travel agent partners about its Alaska lineup. First, it's sending out field reps to visit retailers on their home turf, Hanratty said.
The company's business development managers "are literally just getting the word out now, going around and visiting with [partners] about the product," he said.
In addition, the operator has launched an online, educational Alaska Dimension Series presentation at www.travimp.com/dimensionseries/Alaska.html. The training tool features animated presentations that include videos, narration, music and attachments as well as interactive quizzes. Dimension Series presentations can be viewed on smartphones and tablets.
"It's a really neat product and has been very well received by the travel agents," Hanratty said.
See www.travelimpressions.com.
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