visit ketchikan

What visit ketchikan does

Visit Ketchikan, legally operating as the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau (KVB), is a nonprofit Destination Marketing Organization founded in 1976 that serves as the official visitor bureau for Ketchikan, Alaska. It is the second-oldest visitor bureau in Alaska and operates year-round, with primary functions including distributing visitor information, marketing the Ketchikan destination, facilitating connections between visitors and local tourism businesses, and maintaining the area's brand identity as 'Alaska's First City' on the Inside Passage. The organization serves two primary customer segments: travelers visiting Ketchikan by cruise ship, ferry, or air (250,000+ visitors assisted annually at Visitor Centers), and local tourism businesses seeking marketing visibility and access to those visitors.

The organization's core products and services center on a destination marketing platform comprising the visitktn.com website (500,000+ page views annually), the Official Ketchikan Travel Guide (65,000+ copies printed and digitally distributed annually), two physical Visitor Information Centers at Berth 2 (year-round) and Berth 3 (seasonal), a Tour Center for on-site bookings, and supplementary channels including an eNewsletter, #visitketchikan social media presence, a professional photo and video library, and an online community events calendar. The underlying technology is built on the Simpleview CRM platform, which handles website operations, partner management, and visitor engagement — a standard DMO-specialized vendor stack. Distribution spans physical (visitor centers, airport, ferry terminal, brochure racks) and digital channels, with content distributed globally via the website while physical touchpoints concentrate domestically in Ketchikan.

Revenue is generated through a tiered partnership membership model plus paid advertising and ancillary services. Local businesses subscribe at six tiers — Individual ($150/year), Nonprofit ($200/year), Pink ($400/year), Coho ($1,300/year), Sockeye ($4,000/year), and Chinook ($8,000/year) — receiving bundled benefits such as website listings, Official Travel Guide narrative and display advertising, brochure distribution at visitor centers, networking events, and video advertising at visitor centers and the airport. Additional revenue streams include standalone advertising products (banner ads $750/year, full-page listings $500/year, additional category listings $125/year), brochure distribution services, video display advertising, and Tour Center sales booth rentals. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. Strategic partnerships extend to ten or more major cruise lines (Carnival, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, Un-Cruise Adventures, American Cruise Lines, Alaskan Dream Cruises), Alaska Airlines as primary jet carrier, the Alaska Marine Highway System, and the Inter-Island Ferry Authority.

Name

visit ketchikan

Legal name

Visit Ketchikan

Website

https://visit-ketchikan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Visit Ketchikan is a nonprofit Destination Marketing Organization (founded 1976) that serves as the official visitors bureau for Ketchikan, Alaska, operating two cruise-berth Visitor Centers, the visitktn.com website, and an annual Official Travel Guide to assist 250,000+ visitors and market hundreds of local tourism business partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Destination Marketing

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Neighborhood & Local Life Tours (Communities & Hidden Gems) (THAJAAAJ)

Keywords

• Destination marketing organization
• Visitor bureau services
• Tourism marketing platform
• Official travel guide
• Visitor information services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ketchikan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Partnership Membership Fees: Local businesses and organizations pay tiered membership fees (Pink $400, Coho $1,300, Sockeye $4,000, Chinook $8,000, Individual $150, Nonprofit $200) for marketing benefits including website listings, travel guide inclusion, brochure distribution, and networking access.
2. Website Advertising: Additional paid advertising options including featured listings, banner ads ($750/year), full page listings ($500/year), and additional category listings ($125/year).
3. Brochure Distribution Services: Paid brochure distribution to key locations throughout Ketchikan for partner businesses.
4. Video Display Advertising: Video display advertising opportunities at Visitor Centers and airport.
5. Tour Center Sales Booth Rental: Rental of tour center sales booths in the Berth 2 Visitor Center.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Visit Ketchikan (Ketchikan Visitors Bureau) is a nonprofit destination marketing organization that promotes Ketchikan, Alaska to leisure travelers and provides free visitor information, maps, and tour bookings through two cruise-berth visitor centers, the visitktn.com website, and an annual Official Travel Guide. It runs a tiered partnership program (Pink, Coho, Sockeye, Chinook) that lets local tourism businesses buy marketing visibility, listings, advertising, and brochure distribution.

Product overview

Visit Ketchikan operates a tourism marketing ecosystem comprising the visitktn.com website platform, the Official Ketchikan Travel Guide (print and digital), and two Visitor Information Centers. The platform enables local businesses to purchase tiered Partnership Programs (Pink, Coho, Sockeye, Chinook) for listings, advertising, and brochure distribution. Additional services include Tour Center sales booths, video display advertising at airports and visitor centers, a partner photo library, events calendar submission, and email newsletter distribution. The offering functions as a unified destination marketing platform rather than separate modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Partnership Programs (Pink, Coho, Sockeye, Chinook tiers) Tiered annual membership for local tourism businesses (hotels, restaurants, tour operators, fishing charters, shops) providing bundled marketing benefits including a partnership portal listing, Official Travel Guide narrative listing, visitktn.com listing, brochure distribution at Visitor Centers, KVB Fast Facts newsletter, cruise ship change notifications, and KVB Connect networking events. Higher tiers add display advertising, video advertising at visitor centers, social media features, blog features, and trade show access.
• visitktn.com Business Directory Listings Business directory and attraction listings on the official Ketchikan tourism website visitktn.com, providing digital visibility for local tourism partners with basic or enhanced listings including business information, photos, and special offers; receives 500,000+ page views annually from travelers worldwide.
• Official Ketchikan Travel Guide Annual print and digital travel guide featuring partner listings, display advertising, and comprehensive Ketchikan visitor information; distributed to over 65,000 visitors annually at Visitor Centers, hotels, the Ketchikan International Airport, and the Alaska Marine Highway ferry terminal, plus thousands of digital downloads.
• Visitor Information Centers Two physical visitor information centers at cruise ship berths in downtown Ketchikan providing free visitor information, maps, local guidance, tour bookings, and assistance to more than 250,000 visitors annually.
• Website Display Advertising (Banner Ads and Full Page Listings) Annual paid display advertising options for existing KVB partners on visitktn.com, including 2"x2" rotating banner ads with graphic link ($750/year), dedicated full-page listings with logo, photo gallery, and unlimited description ($500/year), and additional category listings ($125/year per listing).
• Video Display Advertising at Visitor Centers and Airport Annual video advertisement placement on screens at the Visitor Centers (including Berth 2) and the Ketchikan International Airport, providing high-visibility exposure to arriving cruise passengers and airline travelers.
• Tour Center Sales Booth Rental Rental of sales booth space inside the Berth 2 Visitor Center Tour Center, allowing partners to promote and sell tours and services directly to cruise ship visitors.
• Paid Brochure Distribution Paid brochure distribution for partner businesses to key locations throughout Ketchikan, including Visitor Centers and the airport, to reach arriving cruise passengers and other visitors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500,000+ website page views annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local Tourism Businesses (Pink Tier Partners)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal businesses paying $400/year for basic partnership including website listing, travel guide narrative, brochure distribution at Visitor Centers, and access to partnership portal and networking events.
• Local Tourism Businesses (Coho Tier Partners)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMid-level partners at $1,300/year receiving all Pink benefits plus ¼ page display advertisement in the Official Travel Guide.
• Local Tourism Businesses (Sockeye Tier Partners)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPremium partners at $4,000/year receiving expanded advertising, featured website placement, quarterly newsletter features, and Annual Banquet access.
• Local Tourism Businesses (Chinook Tier Partners)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerTop-tier partners at $8,000/year receiving maximum visibility including full page travel guide ads, year-round video advertising, social media features, and trade show booth access.
• Individual MembersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndividual partners at $150/year for freelancers, consultants, or small operators seeking basic partnership benefits.
• Nonprofit OrganizationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit organizations at $200/year for museums, cultural institutions, and nonprofits seeking visitor visibility.
• Alaska AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary airline partner providing daily jet service to Ketchikan from Seattle, Anchorage, Juneau, Sitka, Petersburg, and Wrangell. Essential partner for visitor access to the destination.
• Cruise Lines (Multiple Operators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with cruise lines including Alaskan Dream Cruises, American Cruise Lines, Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Regent Seven Seas, Silver Seas, Un-Cruise Adventures, and others. Ketchikan is a major port along the Inside Passage.
• Alaska Marine Highway SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState ferry service connecting Ketchikan with the Inside Passage and lower 48 states. Provides alternative access for independent travelers beyond cruise ships.
• Alaska's Inter-Island Ferry AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFerry service connecting Ketchikan to Prince of Wales Island for visitors exploring beyond the main destination.
• Local Air Taxi ServicesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal air taxi operators including Island Air Express and Misty Fjords Air & Outfitting providing charter flights, flightseeing tours, and connections to neighboring communities.
• SimpleviewcoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform and CRM provider powering visitktn.com and partner management systems. Simpleview specializes in destination marketing organization technology.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Travel Juneau: Official Destination Marketing Organization for Juneau, Alaska—another major Inside Passage cruise port. Operates the same three-part model as KVB: visitor information centers, official travel guide, and tiered partnership program for local tourism businesses.
• Visit Skagway: Skagway's official DMO, also an Inside Passage cruise port. Comparable scope, single-destination focus, and reliance on summer cruise traffic plus White Pass & Yukon Route rail visitors, with a partner/membership funding model.
• Visit Sitka: Sitka's visitors bureau serving another Southeast Alaska cruise port with similar visitor-center, travel-guide, and partner-listings model—directly comparable scale and operating environment to Visit Ketchikan.
• Explore Haines: Haines CVB, a smaller Inside Passage port that complements Ketchikan's ferry and cruise itineraries. Operates an analogous DMO structure of visitor information, partnership program, and travel guide.

Broad incumbents

• Visit Anchorage: Alaska's largest DMO serving Anchorage as both a gateway and a destination. Larger scale and broader portfolio, but identical functions: visitor centers, official visitor guide, tiered membership/partnerships, and cruise/flight marketing.
• Explore Fairbanks: Interior Alaska DMO based around Fairbanks as an independent-travel and aurora-borealis hub. Operates a similar visitor-information and partnership model oriented to a different transport mix (fly/drive/cruise to Denali) than Ketchikan.
• Travel Alaska: Statewide DMO for Alaska, sitting one tier above individual port CVBs like Visit Ketchikan. Provides statewide marketing, content, and data that complements—rather than replaces—KVB's local destination marketing role.
• Visit Denver (Denver Tourism Office / VISIT DENVER): Large metropolitan CVB operating a visitor-center, travel guide, and multi-tier partner program analogous to KVB's, but at significantly larger scale. Useful benchmark for partnership-pricing and digital-distribution evolution.

Regional players

• Visit Glacier Bay: Local DMO for Gustavus/Glacier Bay, a competing Southeast Alaska cruise alternative. Comparable community-scale DMO functions, but positioned around a National Park attraction rather than a city port.

Others

• Simpleview: CRM, CMS, and digital marketing platform purpose-built for DMOs and CVBs. KVB runs on Simpleview; the vendor is the closest technology ecosystem analogue and data resource for any DMO benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ketchikan-visitors-bureau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about visit ketchikan