Harbor Department staff move a gangway into place for the Regatta at Wrangell's city dock on Tuesday's foggy morning. The largest of Wrangell's regularly visiting cruise liners, its tenth visit was also its last for the season, signifying the final stretch for the summer travel season. Six more ships are scheduled to make stops before the season's end on Sept. 24.
The cruise ship Regatta's departure Tuesday evening marked the start of the end for Wrangell's tourist 2015 season.
"I think it was a great season," said Cyni Waddington, with the Chamber of Commerce. "I feel we had just the right amount of cruise ships."
The summer's high point came during Wrangell's annual July 4 celebrations, which benefitted from clear weather during an otherwise unusually rainy month.
"It was probably one of the most well-attended," Waddington said.
"I was happy with the season," commented Terri Henson, director of the Nolan Center and Museum. After two months of cataloguing, the museum got a later than usual start in May. However, the museum was steadily attended by visitors over the summer and will remain open through the winter. The museum will shift to shorter Tuesday-through-Saturday hours starting Oct. 1.
Tourism represents the community's third-largest economic sector, after the maritime industry and government jobs. Compared to other communities in the region, Wrangell's tourism sector makes up a smaller proportion of its local economy, about half of Southeast's average according to the Alaska Department of Labor.
An economic study sponsored by the city Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) in June and released last month sought to measure tourism's tangible impact.
"It was really, really helpful to have those numbers," commented Carol Rushmore, Wrangell's director for economic development. In the future, she hopes to have similar studies conducted, though whether these would be done annually or every couple of years would depend on available resources.
Conducted by Juneau-based analysts Rain Coast Data, the study found that the visitor industry brought in $4.1 million last year, a 36-percent increase over 2011 totals. In wage earnings, this translated into $1.7 million, or four percent of the total.
Economic increases are due to rising visitor numbers during the May-September summer season. Last summer more than 14,700 tourists visited Wrangell, a 26-percent increase over 2011 figures. Just over half of these visitors were cruise ship passengers.
In terms of spending, the biggest share comes from independent travelers, at $3.1 million last year. Most of this was spent on excursions, renting equipment, chartering boats and hiring outfitters to guide visitors who often come to hunt, fish, camp or sightsee.
"We had a lot of independent travelers, even with the issues with the ferry," said Henson.
Many of these visitors come to see Anan Wildlife Observatory, a site managed by the United States Forest Service on the mainland just to the island's south. The CVB study found the destination to be the city's most popular.
USFS estimates between 2,400 and 2,800 visitors make it to Anan each summer, the majority of which come through guided tours. The proportion of the observatory's guided visitors has increased over the past decade, from half in 2004 to 72 percent in 2014.
The CVB estimates that Anan visitors brought in an estimated $1.5 million to the community last summer. As a share of Wrangell's visitor industry that season, Anan made up more than a third of all tourism-related spending.
There are no hard figures for the 2015 summer season yet as things are winding down but not yet over.
"We're not there yet," Rushmore said. She plans to visit different businesses and operators in September to get a better idea. "From the few I've talked to it's kind of been a mixed season," she said.
"It was good. It's been as expected," said Sylvia Ettefaugh of Alaska Vistas. The season for her outfit will come to a close sooner than usual, ending on Saturday. She explained that bear activity at Anan has been winding down as the salmon run tapers off, and with school starting up today the timing is convenient.
In part due to the weather, the season has ended earlier than usual for some of the community's other businesses. Processing at Trident Seafoods wound down on Aug. 19, following a smaller commercial pink salmon harvest than initially projected. Warmer than usual water temperatures in the Gulf of Alaska were thought to have contributed.
Muskeg Meadows Golf Course also finished its season early, closing the course last week. July was one of the wettest on record, with Wrangell receiving 8.9 inches of rain. On top of lower turnout to the course, five scheduled tournaments were canceled.
Others will continue working through September and into October- five smaller-sized cruise ships are scheduled to make stops through the coming month.
Arthur Larsen has been giving tours of the clan house on Chief Shakes Island on behalf of the Wrangell Cooperative Association. Since the house's restoration in 2013, Larsen has explained to visitors the site's cultural significance to the local Tlingit, as well as the island's history.
"Five months every summer," he said. In addition to being a good experience for visitors to the island, Larsen explained the tours have been enriching for him as well.
"Every year I think I learn a little more," he said.
WCA's newly-dedicated cultural center on Front Street will also continue to open its doors during ship stops, with local artists able to set up tables for their works and wares. The Tribe is currently working on acquiring a grant to establish a permanent gift shop and weekly classes at the facility.
The end of summer also marks the start of the busy season for other sectors. The school year begins today, and at the marine yard things are expected to become more active as the fishing fleet returns for the winter.
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