Question: How are we impacted by the nationwide shortage of rentals?
Curious Alaska: As Alaska gears up for the summer tourism season, one typical travel essential is in short supply: rental cars. Nationwide, rental cars are proving hard to find because of a lack of supply and a surge in demand as Americans bolstered by COVID-19 vaccinations and loosening restrictions start to travel this summer. And even when cars are available, some renters are being slapped with skyrocketing rates. When the floodgates open next month, arriving tourists in Alaska may meet a similar fate if they haven’t reserved a car yet.