Politics | Alaska Alaskans Weigh Impact of New High Profile Palin's southern exposure may drive increased tourism By Kevin Spak Posted Oct 17, 2008 3:51 PM CDT Copied Sarah Palin, is seen on a TV at a home in Wasilla, Alaska, Thursday Oct. 2, 2008, as she debates Joe Biden. (AP Photo/Al Grillo) Will America’s favorite moose-field-dressing expert draw more visitors to her wintry home state? Alaska’s sudden burst of Palin-centric publicity has some travel agents salivating, the Anchorage Daily News reports; every misty mountain vista that shows up on CNN is a win. But others worry that the increasingly controversial governor is hurting her state’s image. At a recent Alaska travel trade show, an attendee wisecracked, “Welcome to Alaska, home of Joe Six Pack.” But at least one marketing expert doesn’t mind if people think Alaska’s a backwater—as long as they think it’s unique. In attempting to pique interest, "showing some of Alaska's rough-hewn side is kind of a good thing," he says. Read These Next 'Bluetoothing' is spreading HIV around the globe. Two dozen shot at St. Helena Island bar. Couples are using AI to argue, vent, and even divorce. What do you do when historic office towers have lived out their life? Report an error