06/14/2026
Every year, hundreds (if not thousands) of letters arrive at the office of the Commissioner in Alaska's Department of Commerce in Juneau from across the country, addressed to the "Alaska Division of Tourism." Most are from homeschooled families asking for maps, stickers, and Alaska resources.
There's just one mystery we'd like to solve: where are these kids finding us?
The Division of Tourism as a state-run office hasn't existed in its current form since around 2000. Following the passage of Senate Bill 107, Alaska made a deliberate shift to privatize tourism marketing, consolidating those functions under the Alaska Travel Industry Association the nonprofit that now runs Travel Alaska and promotes Alaska as a destination to the world. Today, DCCED focuses on economic development, business resources, licensing, investment, and consumer protection.
Somewhere out there, a homeschool curriculum still lists a state tourism office as the place to write. And apparently it's been circulating for a very, very long time.
Our team in Juneau has spent years carefully responding to each one, and we don't take that lightly.
We've blurred out the personal info to protect these young scholars, but we wanted to share just a couple. The curiosity, the enthusiasm for Alaska, the carefully written words. We'd love to welcome these kids and their families to Alaska one day.
So here's our question for you: Have you seen this curriculum? Do you know where this assignment comes from? Drop your theories in the comments. We are genuinely curious. 👇
