Holland America will be closing its Westmark Hotel in Beaver Creek next summer as it revamps its tourism packages for the Yukon, a senior company official said today.

Public relations director Erik Elvejord said early this afternoon Holland America is reworking its travel options.

Its customers are indicating more interest in longer stays at specific sites like Dawson City and less interest in long motor coach rides, he told the Star.

Altogether, the company offers six varying travel packages for the Yukon, he said.

Four of the options involve travel from Skagway through Whitehorse and up to Dawson by bus, and then over to Fairbanks on the Top of the World Highway, he said.

Elvejord said two of options involve travel from Skagway to Whitehorse and then up through the Kluane region on the North Alaska Highway to Beaver Creek and into Alaska.

With the changing market, the company is eliminating the Kluane motor coach package through Beaver Creek.

It's adding two more travel options for the Skagway-Whitehorse-Dawson route, he said.

The company, Elvejord added, will also be eliminating the motor coach connection between Dawson and Fairbanks using the Top of the World Highway.

Instead, it will be flying its customers over to Fairbanks, allowing for more time in Dawson,

Elvejord said Holland America expects a net increase in the tourism activity for the Yukon as clients decide to spend more time in Whitehorse and Dawson.

The company is still interested in offering a Kluane option because of the interest in Kluane region, but it won't be in its current form, he said.

Elvejord said most of the seasonal staff employed at the Westmark Hotel in Beaver Creek are brought in by Holland America for the summer, with very few locals employed.

Closing the hotel, he expects, will not be a hard hit to local employment.

The entertainers for the hotel dinner show, for instance, are all imported, the public relations director pointed out.

He said the company is not sure what will happen with the hotel in the long term. Those normally employed at the Westmark in Beaver Creek for the summer will be offered employment elsewhere in the company's portfolio.

"We are finding more and more people are wanting to do less motor coaching and spend more time in one place... you know Dawson is a wonderful city,” he said.

Elvejord flatly rejected the notion Holland America is cutting out the North Alaska Highway route because of some rough spots along the highway.

Klondike MLA Sandy Silver told the legislature Thursday he's heard Holland America is planning to scale back or eliminate tours along the North Alaska Highway.

"Is the government aware of these potential changes?” Silver asked acting Tourism and Culture Minister Elaine Taylor during question period.

"And what information has the government received from Holland America directly about their plans for tours on the North Alaska Highway?” Silver asked.

Taylor said the government does not comment nor speculate on the plans of a private business until there has been a formal announcement by the company.

The Department of Tourism and Culture, she added, continues to work with all tourism businesses to enhance and expand market opportunities.

Silver said if Holland America does reduce its activity on the North Alaska Highway activity, the impact could be enormous, particularly for Beaver Creek.

And he said he's heard the condition of the highway was a factor in Holland America's decision.

Quite obviously, said Silver, the $50,000 joint marketing initiative signed by the government and Holland America won't be directed toward the Kluane region.

He asked the acting minister if the government would ensure money is identified specifically for the promotion of the Kluane region.

Taylor said the government has an extensive marketing strategy.