Tourism boosts state, local economy
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GLACIER COUNTRY — Thirty years ago, tourism wasn’t even on the radar when it came to Montana’s top industries. But thanks to legislation implemented in 1987, tourism now ranks in the top two, along with agriculture, raking in $2.5 billion in direct expenditures from 10.5 million non-resident visitors every year. This means that 75 percent of every visitor dollar is spent in local communities, equating to approximately 28,110 jobs and $785 million in worker salaries statewide.
Montana’s successful tourism industry relies on the 4 percent Lodging and Facility Use Tax, commonly referred to as the bed tax, which helped the state during an economic slump in the 1980s and continues to do so today.
In 1988, the first year of its existence, the tax generated $5 million. In 2006, that number increased more than 200 percent to $15.4 million. In 2010, visitor spending generated $180 million in state and local tax revenue. And that number is expected to increase as the revenue from the tax is used to effectively market the six distinct tourism regions across the state that include Glacier Country, Russell Country, Missouri River Country, Gold West Country, Yellowstone Country and Custer Country. Without money brought in from tourism, it is estimated that each Montana household would have to pay $480 in additional local and state taxes.
Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission, a nonprofit organization, works to create a balanced partnership among the eight western Montana counties that make up the Glacier Country region. These counties include Flathead, Glacier, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli and Sanders.
Some of their marketing goals are to raise awareness of Glacier Country as a recognized destination and increase visitation year-round.
“The commonality in Glacier Country is the types of activities we provide. We really are a recreational mecca,” said Racene Friede, executive director of Western Montana’s Glacier Country. She shared that Glacier National Park and Yellowstone are the two key markets. The area also features rich culture and stunning landscapes, as well as the Flathead Indian Reservation and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation; along with the Blackfoot, Bitterroot and Clark Fork rivers.
Often the traffic that flows through Lake County en route to Glacier stops along the way, pausing at several unique attractions in the Mission Valley and enhancing local economies.
One of those attractions is the National Bison Range in Moiese, where outdoor recreation planner Pat Jamieson said peak season often coincides with the open period for Glacier’s Going-to-the-Sun Road. But typically the bison range’s busiest stretch is from July 4 to August. Last year, the National Bison Range hosted more than 122,000 visitors during the summer.
“That’s when the summer visitors hit us,” Jamieson said, rattling off a plethora of range activities that draw these crowds, including stellar hiking landscapes with the Mission Mountains looming in the distance to excellent opportunities to photograph elk, whitetail and bison.
“We have one of the best wildlife viewing and photographing opportunities around,” she shared.
Though the summer tide won’t turn for another four months, locals will soon be taking to the range about mid-May when the popular Red Sleep Mountain Drive will open.
Jamieson noted that the National Bison Range is not only utilized by out-of-staters, but draws many locals as well. In fact, she credited local traffic to maintaining visitor numbers when state tourist numbers drop.
“We do get a lot of locals, and we are only three hours from Spokane,” Jamieson said, adding that visitors can spend half a day exploring the range and also have the opportunity to hit up great local museums, hike the Missions or boat on nearby Flathead Lake.
“You don’t have to go to Glacier to do those types of things,” Jamieson said.
“Those are our calling cards. Usually people visit Glacier National Park first and are so impressed that they are coming back to visit Glacier again but also exploring other aspects of Montana such as the Bob Marshall Wilderness,” Friede shared.
A new National Park Service report indicates that in 2010 more than 2 million visitors spent almost $110 million in Glacier National Park and nearby communities. This spending supported 1,695 jobs in the lodging, food and beverage services (52 percent) followed by 29 percent in retail; 10 percent related to entertainment/amusement; seven percent in gas and local transportation and two percent for groceries.
“Glacier National Park has historically been an economic driver in the state,” said Glacier National Park Superintendent Chas Cartwright. “This report shows the value that many good and services provided by local businesses are to the park visitor, as well as employment opportunities for the area.”
Friede explained that Glacier Country is working to make sure these visitors who come back to re-explore Montana are well informed of the state’s other aspects and attractions.
Polson is one of the larger towns on U.S. Highway 93 that features small-town charms and big city draws.
According to Heather Knutson, president of the Polson Chamber of Commerce, the city has been proving itself a hospitable hot spot for conventions and festivals.
During the summer, the city will host the 20th annual Flathead Lake 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, which draws hundreds of ballers to battle on the pavement. In August, the area also claims the largest car show in the Pacific Northwest, with more than 500 hotrods, custom and classic cars lining the streets.
“The Cherry Festival is definitely a local favorite,” Knutson said of the Flathead Cherry Festival, which offers more than 125 vendors, and last year saw an estimated 8,000 visitors over a two-day period.
Another unique aspect of Polson, besides the shimmering waters of Flathead Lake, is the fact that the city does not have any type of resort or tourist tax, though similar in size and offerings to other nearby resort communities.
“Polson currently does not have taxes,” Knutson said.
As the summer months draw closer, Knutson and others in the Mission Valley happily prepare for the onslaught of visitors to the area.
“You can’t make a left hand turn on Highway 93 during the summer,” Knutson joked about summer traffic.
And though she acknowledges the impact out-of-state guests have on the state and local communities, she also credits less-known seasonal visitors to the numbers, as well. These types of visitors often stay in summer homes or cabins and leave during the winter.
Knutson noted seasonal visitors are an interesting sub-sector of tourists that add to the tourist economy.
But tourists, seasonal or not, are impacting Montana’s economy and can be seen illustrated in a number of newly added Allegiant, a Las Vegas-based airline, flights to California. Currently, Californians make up 6 percent of non-resident visitors to Lake County every year, while Coloradans constitute the most with 13 percent.
In January, Allegiant announced it would offer nonstop jet service between Kalispell, Missoula, Bozeman, Billings and Glacier Park International Airports and the San Francisco Bay Area. The airline already offers flights to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Ariz., and Los Angeles, Calif.
“When you really think about it, there isn’t another sector that (tourism) doesn’t impact,” said Friede.
To discover more about what the Glacier Country region offers, visit www.glaciermt.com.
