After seeing an influx of independent travelers and the return of both small and large ship cruising in the summer of 2021, the Alaska Travel Industry Association is cautiously optimistic about what 2022 will bring. In the pandemic, Alaska continues to offer wide-open spaces in a domestic, yet out-of-the-ordinary destination.
 
“Alaska attracts so many types of travelers,” said ATIA President and CEO Sarah Leonard. “We have the biggest landscapes, more coastline than any other U.S. state, a rich history, diverse cultures, amazing wildlife and adventure experiences.”
 
Read on for what new cruises, attractions, tours, accommodations and more Alaska visitors can look forward to in 2022.

Accommodations

• Known for its popular glass-domed igloos and aurora viewing opportunities in Fairbanks, Borealis Basecamp is staying open for its first-ever summer season, allowing visitors to stay and experience the 100-acre piece of boreal forest that this unique experience sits on. Activities available during the summer season include a guided driving tour to the Arctic Circle, three- or six-hour UTV rides in the White Mountain Recreation Area, reindeer walks and visit to a sled dog kennel. You can also see the five new “cubes” that will be available as accommodations during the winter season.
  
  
  
• Located in Girdwood, Alyeska Resort recently completed the first phase of the state's first-ever Nordic Spa, offering three hot pools, three cold pools, a sauna, wellness bistro and massage services.
  
  
  
• Aloft Anchorage opened recently to cater to leisure travelers, as well as business guests, with rooms that feature spacious living quarters and ultra-comfortable signature beds as well as walk-in showers. Guests will have no troubles recharging with plug-and-play connectivity stations and a 24-hour fitness center, pool and more.
  
  
  
• Now operating as a fly-in lodge for 2022 and 2023, Camp Denali is a remote lodge deep within Denali National Park and Preserve. Guests' stays are enriched with guided hiking and activities led by staff naturalists, and special guest speakers (storytellers, biologists, conservationists and more) leading evening presentations.
  
  
  
• Waterfall Resort, located on Prince of Wales Island, has recently added two new cabins to accommodate growing demand. After returning from an exciting day of fishing in Alaska, guests will be able to stay in brand-new cabins with additional features such as king size beds and heated floors. The addition makes a total of 28 cabins.
  
  
  
• Kantishna Roadhouse, Alaska's historic backcountry lodge at the foot of Mt. Denali, will be offering a new exclusive fly-in experience where visitors can fly into the area and experience the wildlife and beauty of the tallest mountain in North America.  
  
  

• Face The Outdoors Aurora Viewing Lodge in Delta Junction offers visitors the chance to sit back and relax in a comfortable lodge and watch the northern lights light up the sky right above them. The lodge offers complimentary shuttle service for the visitors to and from their overnight accommodations.  

Tours and Attractions

• Coldfoot Camp located in Alaska's Arctic region is offering two new tours. The "Fat Bike Adventure" will allow guests to bike along Slate Creek, along a maintained gold mine trail. The "Packraft Adventure" will have guests packrafting on the Koyukuk River in the Brooks Mountain Range and within the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. 

• Major Marine Tours recently welcomed a new vessel to their fleet. The Skana, a custom-built 87-foot high-speed catamaran will begin running trips from Seward into Kenai Fjords National Park after May 11th. Passengers will have a unique, unforgettable viewing experience of the area's glaciers, scenery, and wildlife as the third deck of the vessel has unobstructed 360-degree views and ample outdoor viewing space. 

• Go Hike Alaska has launched its “Backcountry Eats & Foraging Treats” tour. With two options, either in the Chugach State Park in Anchorage or around Montana Creek outside of Talkeetna, guests spend two hours foraging for in-season items like wild greens, mushrooms, berries and more. The guide also teaches guests ways to prepare these items using backcountry stoves. 

• Waterfall Resort, just a quick floatplane ride outside of Ketchikan, will be upping its offerings this summer, with a new kayak fishing experience, guided by seasoned kayak angler Adam Fisk. This tour will accommodate groups of up to four and allow guests to fish directly from a 13-foot kayak.

• Klondike Electric Bicycles will be offering two new tours in Skagway. “Skagway City Highlights and Gold Panning Tour” is a guided e-bike tour taking visitors to attractions throughout the historic town and letting them try a hand at gold panning. The “Self-Guided E-Bike Tour to Dyea” allows visitors to explore the ghost town on their own, taking in the beautiful scenery and Klondike Gold Rush history.  

• Salmon Berry Travel & Tours will be offering a new Hatcher Pass Hike & History Tour in the state park north of Anchorage. This half-day tour departs from downtown Anchorage and highlights the Independence Mine State Historical Park in Hatcher Pass with a behind-the-scenes guided tour at the mine, a short hike and gold panning at the creek. 

• Moose Pass Adventures will be offering guided tours and kayak rentals on Trail Lake on the Kenai Peninsula this summer, sharing the beauty of Moose Pass on the glacially fed lake. They will offer three rental times daily.

• Alaska Crafted Tour and Cruise Transfer offers a new way to cruise while you “taste your way through the Alaska craft beverage scene.” Visitors can either take a fully guided tour and transfer with options out of Seward through the mountains of the Kenai Peninsula and tastings at Girdwood Brewing Co., Anchorage Distillery, and Double Shovel Cider Co., or from the historic port city of Whittier with a lunch atop Mt. Alyeska.  

• The Coyote Trail Farm & Fiber Mill combines a love for fiber arts with the joy of raising beautiful, fluffy animals. They connect livestock farmers and small flock owners with Alaska's fiber artists. The fibers produced are used to create original artworks, wearables and quality household items. Skeins and roving products from their mill are also available for sale online, in their farm shop and at select Alaska markets. During the tour, guests learn about the different methods for each breed and challenges transforming their unique Alaska fiber into roving and yarn.

Cruises

• Small-ship cruise line Windstar Cruises will have new, shorter seven-day sailings for the first time ever called Scenic Alaska.  The shorter itineraries in the region will make it easier for working professionals and families to get away for an epic, small ship cruise adventure. It has an inaugural stop in Haines, where brand-new excursions include a Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Float Trip, a photography discovery experience with a pro, and a White Pass railroad excursion, among other options. Windstar also has a newly revamped Star Breeze all-suite yacht that has two new restaurants, a true spa/fitness center, and more efficient engines, among other improvements. Star Breeze will sail all of Windstar's Alaska itineraries in 2022.

• Princess Cruises has launched its debut “Wild for Alaska Seafood” immersive destination dining experience aboard six vessels in 2022. Adding to Princess Cruises' popular “only in Alaska” menus, this new program will offer 30 distinctive Alaska seafood dishes with featured items every night in all main dining rooms. This will provide a more authentic and memorable experience for guests cruising Alaska's waters while showing Alaska's diverse seafood and history. 

Towns

• The town of McCarthy, located in the heart of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, has many new offerings and events this summer. The new Copper Town Shuttle will provide free shuttle services to all in the McCarthy and Kennicott area in the park. The first loop will travel between the footbridge parking lot and the McCarthy Center Store. Another free shuttle loop travels between the McCarthy Center Store and the Kennicott Mill Site. In addition, the Kate Kennedy House, previously identified as one of the ten most endangered historic buildings in Alaska, has been fully restored and is now available to tour. This 1920s era "Sears Catalogue Home" includes many period amenities like a working victrola with record collection and a 1930 antique automobile. The Golden Saloon also has added a new bandstand. Music performances will be offered Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer. The town is also having a major facelift this summer with the reinstallation of the boardwalks through the town.

• The Inside Passage port town of Skagway is ready for the return of cruise travelers this summer. Visitors will be able to experience trail infrastructure in its finest condition and many special events that include “An Evening with David Sedaris”, a Drag Show featuring GiGi Monroe and the Cast of Juneau Drag, and the Cast of Juneau Drag at Dedman's Stage, and Duff's Skagway Marathon.  

Transportation

• Get Lost Travel Vans, based in Anchorage, has added six new Ford Broncos to its rental fleet this season. Broncos come equipped with all the camping gear guests will need for their adventures. Amenities include a refrigerator, two-burner stove, collapsible table, water jug, organizer for all the kitchen items, an awning and a Roofnest Condor rooftop tent. 
  
  
  
• German airline Eurowings Discover will launch direct flights between Frankfurt and Anchorage for the summer season. Flights will occur three times per week between June 13 and Sept. 10. 
  
  
  
• German charter airline Condor also returns to the state for the first time in two years. The schedule includes three flights weekly from Frankfurt to Anchorage and one per week between Frankfurt and Fairbanks, with service from May 21 through Sept. 24.

For more information, visit www.TravelAlaska.com/media.