Flathead Lodging Industry Reports Solid Summer Season

From the Sept. 9, 2012 edition of The Daily Inter Lake By Heidi Gaiser Montana made its mark in the tourism industry nationwide this summer, topping all 50 states in July with a hotel-room occupancy rate of 84 percent. Flathead Valley hotels certainly weren’t left out of the equation.

Billings Gazette Opinion: Montana Richer for Welcoming 10.5 Million Visitors

From the July 31, 2012 edition of the Billings Gazette Montanans are outnumbered 10 to 1 by their out-of-state visitors. That demand for hospitality is highly profitable for our sparsely populated state. Last year, nonresident travelers pumped $3.3 billion into Montana’s economy, according to the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana. […]

Bed Tax is 25 Years Old

From the July 29, 2012 edition of the Billings Gazette by Lorna Thackeray Before the year is out, tourism experts say, 10.5 million out-of-state visitors will journey to or through Montana, dropping somewhere in the neighborhood of $3 billion.

Tourism Lesson Taught in Bigfork

Aired on KAJ on May 8, 2012 A pair of Montana state senators are touring Flathead Valley businesses that cash in big during the summer season in an effort to beef up tourism throughout the state. Llew Jones and Bruce Tutvedt stopped by the Marina Cay resort in Bigfork on Tuesday to learn more about […]

Local Lawmakers on the Front Lines of the Tourism Industry for Tourism Works Day

Aired on KULR May 8, 2012 Tourism brings about $2.8 billion to Montana every year. Tuesday, on Montana’s Tourism Works Day, local lawmakers got busy on the front lines of the tourism industry. State Senator Gary Branae helped serve lunch at a brunch recognizing volunteers with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. He was one of […]

Montana Senator Bartends For Tourism

Aired on KFBB May 8, 2012 Only about one million people live in Montana, but 10.5 million visit the treasure state each year, so you can see how important tourism is to our state’s economy. Today, about a dozen lawmakers and hopeful lawmakers across the big sky state are pitching in to help out the […]

Tourism Campaigns Help Drive Montana’s Economy

In this special assignment report, KAJ news in Kalispell speaks to Rhonda Fitzgerald, chair of the Montana Tourism Advisory Council, about the effectiveness of advertising campaigns promoting Montana to out-of-state travelers.The story notes that the state’s fiscal 2010-11 advertising campaign netted $157 in visitor spending in return for each dollar spent on advertising.

Montana Leaders Lend a Hand to Tourism Businesses for Tourism Works Day Event

Helena, Mont. (Tues., May 1, 2012) ― As Montana tourism businesses prepare for the summer travel season, they’ll receive a little help from state lawmakers and legislative candidates on Tues., May 8 during the statewide “Tourism Works Day” event. Organized by Voices of Montana Tourism, the first-time event is one of many taking place across […]