Inter-Island Ferry Authority, which operates out of Hollis, has a $52.2 million economic impact on Prince of Wales Island and in Ketchikan, a new report from Rain Coast Data states.
The IFA, unaffiliated with the Alaska Marine Highway, serves Prince of Wales Island. According to Rain Coast Data, the IFA has averaged 50,500 passengers per year between its Ketchikan terminal and the Prince of Wales terminal in Hollis.
In 2015, about 14 percent of the ferry system’s passengers were tourists. Another 7 percent were school students on trips.
According to the study, 66 percent of Prince of Wales residents used the IFA ferry system on one or more of its daily trips between Hollis and Ketchikan.
The study claims 320 jobs on Prince of Wales are created by the direct and indirect economic impact of the IFA.
