What’s New With Glacier Country Tourism
New Board Members, New Location

We are excited to welcome six new members to the Glacier Country Tourism board of directors. Steve Clairmont - Mission West Community Development Partners, Myranda Cravens - Libby Area Chamber of Commerce, David Diehl - RightOnTrek, Inc., Linda Howard - Wolf Trail Montana LLC, Lailani Upham - Iron Shield Creative/Visit Blackfeet (Blackfeet Tribe Tourism), and Edna White - Averill Hospitality.

Glacier Country Tourism has moved to a new location. Our physical location is 3021 Palmer Street, Suite A, Missoula, MT 59808. Our new mailing address is PO Box 19631, Missoula, MT 59808.

Montana’s 68th Legislative Session is wrapping up with a record 4,823 requested bill drafts being submitted—we have been actively tracking 135 of those bills. Stay tuned for a legislative update after the session has wrapped up. Visit Tourism Matters to Montana to read more about them.

Tourism Sales Update

In February, our Marketing Project Manager, Aerionna Skrutvold, attended American Bus Association (ABA) Marketplace where she met with a variety of group tour operators looking for unique outdoor destinations, attractions and culinary experiences to provide their clients an unforgettable bucket-list experience. Director of Sales, Debbie Picard, attended IITA Summit in San Diego and Go West Summit in Anchorage in February where she met with international and U.S. receptive tour operators and saw a marked increase of interest in itineraries to Montana and the Great American West for international visitors.

Public Relations Update

This quarter, our Director of Communications, Lucy Guthrie Beighle, attended two conferences: International Media Marketplace (IMM) in NYC where she met with 25 domestic and international journalists and bloggers, and Destination International’s Marketing and Communications Summit in Virginia. We hosted blogger Christopher Mitchell/Traveling Mitch for a Winter Activities trip. Adventuring Eyes/Sarah and Miles Bielski, who Glacier Country Tourism hosted last fall, recently posted on Instagram “How to Plan for a Glacier National Park Trip,” with 19,800 responses, 168 comments and 376,000 views.

Destination
Stewardship Update

Glacier Country Tourism’s new Director of
Community Engagement and Destination Stewardship, Jenna Boltz, has been strategically engaging with over 50 organizations and associations across our region, listening to opportunities and exploring how we can help make a positive impact in our communities. Through these discussions, Jenna has identified and discovered needs such as trail system development, river access improvements, wayfinding needs, and creating ways to highlight our incredible culture and artistry. As Glacier Country Tourism focuses on healthy destination stewardship, there are so many exciting possibilities that can enhance our recreational offerings and preserve quality of life for residents.

Research
and Trends

2022 vs. 2021 regional visitor-to-resident ratio trend data is out. While up 5% overall, most of the increase occurred in the fourth quarter of 2022. (Source: Zartico)

Seasonal Average:
• January to March – 25 visitors to 100 residents (down 8% over 2021)
• April to June – 34 visitors to 100
residents (down 8% over 2021)
• July to September – 50 visitors to 100 residents (down 2% over 2021)
• October to December – 42 visitors to 100 residents (up 56% over 2021)