Visit Ketchikan

Visit Ketchikan: tourism promotion for a Southeast Alaska island

Visit Ketchikan is the tourism promotion organization for Ketchikan, an island community in Alaska surrounded by rainforest and sea. Its website serves as the official travel guide: it gathers information on what to see and do, where to stay, where to eat and drink, fishing, culture and art, shopping, tours and activities, as well as an events calendar and a free visitors guide.

A community shaped by Tlingit culture and fishing

The material describes Ketchikan —Kichxáan in the Tlingit language— as an island community where Alaska Native culture, fishing traditions, history, and outdoor experiences shape everyday life. The organization itself acknowledges that the city sits on the ancestral lands of the Tlingit people, present on these shores for more than 10,000 years, and that the place name Kichxáan reflects that historical connection to a place of residence, trade, and cultural significance.

What it offers visitors

The website organizes content into several thematic areas that cover the complete island experience:

• Art and culture, with references to Alaska Native heritage and the early settlers of Southeast Alaska.
• Shopping and local artists' galleries.
• Tours and activities.
• Places to stay.
• Fishing.
• Food and drink.

The site also includes travel videos, photographs, and an events calendar with local celebrations, live music, and seasonal events.

Featured places and resources in Ketchikan

Among the points the guide presents are Totem Bight State Historical Park, downtown, Saxman Totem Park, Herring Cove, the Totem Heritage Center, the Tongass Historical Museum, Creek Street, the Arts Humanities Council, and the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. The organization maintains a visitor information center at the Berth 2 Visitor Information Center, described as the place to go to find activities.

Tourism Best Management Practices (TBMP) program

Visit Ketchikan manages the Tourism Best Management Practices (TBMP) program, a voluntary, community-based initiative that channels conversations between residents and tourism businesses around the impact of tourism. The program is explicitly presented as a communication and awareness mechanism, not as a regulatory body or a complaint hotline: it does not impose fines or penalties. When a complaint or comment is received, TBMP acts as an intermediary and passes the information to the relevant tourism business, which can respond with adjustments, training, or solutions. The stated goal is improvement, not punishment.

Both residents, who share opinions and experiences, and tourism businesses, which commit to following the program's guidelines and maintaining open communication, can participate. Participation is free. The program was launched in 1997 in Juneau and is a cooperative effort of industry businesses, industry associations, and local government.

Contact channels

The organization handles inquiries by phone and email, and has a specific contact line for the TBMP program. Its main office is located in Ketchikan, Alaska.

Location and contact

50 Front St., Suite 203 Ketchikan, AK 99901 · Phone: (907) 225-6166