Glacier Country Looks Forward to 2021
Destination Marketing in the Time of COVID-19

2021 has come with a sense of renewed spirit and optimism for a strong, healthy new year. We successfully wrapped up the Montana Aware Safety Grant program with Montana Office of Tourism and Economic Development and our destination organization partners across the state—promoting safety for residents and visitors alike as people move about and explore our great state. While the grant deadline has passed, we will continue with safety messaging, taking extra effort around recreating responsibly joining in this effort with numerous public and private partners.

The 67th Montana Legislative Session convened with a growing list of bills we are monitoring and taking action on. We are tracking issues and initiatives related to preservation of funding for destination marketing organizations (MOTBD, regions and CVBs), Montana State Parks, Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Montana Historical Society, Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research and State Tribal Tourism. We are also monitoring and engaging in efforts to help with short- and long-term strategic planning for Montana’s travel industry, relief resources for businesses impacted by COVID-19, community health and safety, tribal tourism development and tourism education and outreach. Visit tourismmattersmt.org for more information.

Tourism Matters to Montana, Voices of Montana Tourism, and the Montana Lodging and Hospitality Association joined together to host weekly Tourism Talk Town Hall Meetings through the 2021 legislative session. Along with various leaders in the industry, they share important information—working together to strengthen Montana’s economic position and provide opportunity for the people of our communities. Register for these meetings up until April 14, 2021. You can find more information by visiting any of the host organization websites.

In December, Glacier Country Tourism elected five new board members to its volunteer board. Ray Brown, Chris Darlow, Rob Harvey, Ashley Kavanagh and Juli Thurston all started the three-year board term on December 9, 2020. In January, Glacier Country Tourism’s board and staff worked with Paul Ouimet and Greg Oates with MMGY NextFactor to review and update our short- and long-term strategic plans. Strategic planning is critical as we help lead Western Montana’s recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. NextFactor has done extensive work during the past year on strategic recovery in the United States and abroad.

Our new partnership program has been successful in providing free and fee-based opportunities to promote businesses and communities. As of November 2020, our webpage only provides basic and featured listings for official partners of Glacier Country Tourism. Visit glaciermt.com today to make sure your business is listed and accurate. We now provide opportunities for all businesses to actively partner with us via our new, free Basic Partnership level or our fee-based Signature Partnership level. Both provide businesses online presence on glaciermt.com. We know how important it is to support our communities, and we are confident our new structure will strengthen engagement between local business organizations and Glacier Country Tourism. In the long run, we are all working toward maintaining a healthy and vibrant community and economy together. For more information on our partnership levels, visit our Partner Center at partners.glaciermt.com.

Mark Your Calendar
Board Meetings


MAR

9

March 9, 2021
noon – 3 p.m.
TBD

MAY

11

May 11, 2021
noon – 3 p.m.
TBD

OCT

12

October 12, 2021
noon – 3 p.m.
TBD

Our board meetings are open to the public, and we welcome attendance. During the COVID-19 crisis, meetings will be conducted in an online format using GoToMeeting. The public will have the opportunity to comment both during action-item discussions and under the Open Discussion/Public Comment section of the agenda. Virtual board meeting information will be posted on the Partner Center and Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission Facebook page.

To learn more, please call the Glacier Country Tourism office at 800.956.6537 or 406.532.3234, or drop us a note at glaciercountry@glaciermt.com.

MILESTONES
FY 2021 Through December 2020

Tablet-Friendly Guide Visits

38,836

Call Center Inquiries
(phone, email, live chat and travel guide distribution)

87,325

Website Visits

809,710

Social Media Impressions

12,658,730

Paid Media Impressions

72,228,327

Earned Media Ad Value

$2,225,779

 

Need travel guides? Call Kristi McNeal, Glacier Country Tourism's office manager, at 406.532.3234.

Public Relations and
Tourism Sales Update

Montana AwareLucy Beighle continued to be flexible in her role as Public Relations and Earned Media Manager. In fall of 2020, media events, media trips and speed networking conferences were either canceled or postponed. But with travel starting to be an option for later in 2021, Lucy has started to at least have conversations with media again about visiting Western Montana when the time is right.

At the end of January, International Media Marketplace, typically a two day, in-person networking conference in New York City, took place online with 25 20-minute meetings with journalists from all over the world. IMM has typically been an excellent source of media visits, and this one will undoubtedly prove to be as fruitful.

Glacier Country Tourism has been able to maintain a significant online presence through travel bloggers and influencers throughout 2020 and into 2021 in part because of Lucy’s involvement in previous events and trips and the relationships forged there.

The business-to-business trade show season looks very different this year for our Tourism Sales Manager, Debbie Picard. Most trade shows were either canceled, postponed to later in 2021 or are taking place in a virtual format. However, Debbie has been busy fielding requests for more information from meeting planners and tour operators that have never been to Montana or Western Montana’s Glacier Country before. They are researching meeting spaces that appear “safer” in rural locations and looking for wide-open spaces for their motorcoach tours, which will hopefully resume in 2021. With the additional direct flights added by Alaska Airlines, Allegiant and United for 2021, the ease of access for attendees to fly in for meetings and/or tours in Montana has increased. In November, she attended NTA Travel Exchange (National Tour Association) virtually promoting the region to the group tour/motorcoach market. After each show, Debbie’s trade show leads are available on the Partner Center for follow-up by Glacier Country Tourism partners. Please be sure to contact Debbie and share what is new at your business, lodging property, attraction or community so she can share that information in her sales efforts. If you would like to promote your business specifically to the meetings or group tour markets via our B2B Blog, let Debbie know at debbie@glaciermt.com.

Digital Advertising Opportunities
Destination Marketing in the Time of COVID-19

More than 1.6 million unique visitors a year use glaciermt.com when planning their Montana vacations. As a Glacier Country Tourism partner, you have the opportunity to expose your business to these travelers by advertising on glaciermt.com during peak website traffic months. Take advantage with homepage and internal premium ad positions available to partners—we still have some April through July availability.

Don’t pass up the opportunity to place your business front and center. For more information or to secure a placement, email Glacier Country Tourism’s Contract Agent for Media and Partnership Sales, Tia Metzger, at tia@windfallstudio.com.

Visit our Partner Center at partners.glaciermt.com.

partners.glaciermt.com

Disclaimer
© 2021 Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of any material must be with the consent of the Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission. Produced with Accommodations Tax Funds.

Glacier Country Tourism is operated by a board of directors (made up of two members from each county in Glacier Country: Flathead, Glacier, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli and Sanders, up to eight at-large representatives and up to six ex-officio) and the executive director. The board operates under strict rules and regulations set by the governor-appointed Tourism Advisory Council (TAC) and the Montana legislature. The Glacier Country Tourism marketing plan and projects are approved by the board and then submitted to the TAC for final approval.

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