- About
- Plans + Programs
- Partnership
- Outreach
- Destination Stewardship
- News + Events
- GlacierMT.com
- Login
The destination stewardship strategy provides the community and tourism industry with a 10-year action plan for responsibly stewarding our destination and promoting the economic health of our region. Reports from the process are posted detailing the insights gained from our research and community engagement.
Your New Community Connection Hub for Western Montana’s Glacier Country
October 7, 2024
We are thrilled to announce the launch of Engage.GlacierMT.com, a dynamic new platform designed to connect and empower the Western Montana community. This tool is part of our ongoing commitment to fostering engagement and building strong public support around a collective vision for our region.
Engage.GlacierMT.com serves as a space for open dialogue, allowing residents to share their insights, provide valuable feedback, and stay updated on key projects and initiatives. By enhancing transparency and encouraging active participation, the platform aims to strengthen community ties and promote awareness of important issues.
As a cornerstone of Western Montana’s Glacier Country Community Engagement Program, this platform plays a vital role in our efforts to balance economic growth, sustainable tourism, and the quality of life that makes our region unique. We invite you to join the conversation and help shape the future of Glacier Country by visiting Engage.GlacierMT.com today.
July 8, 2024
Over the past several months Western Montana's Glacier Country has been wrapping up a series of town hall meetings with rural communities in Flathead, Glacier, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli and Sanders counties. We met with hundreds of residents to discuss the impacts of tourism, share our destination stewardship process and plan, and give people an opportunity to share their opinions.
President CEO Racene Friede facilitated deep conversations about the benefits and drawbacks of tourism. Benefits included economic diversity, entrepreneurial inspiration, and a sense of community pride, while drawbacks focused on increased traffic and strain on resources such as emergency services and outdoor recreation. Many sessions emphasized themes of self-reliance, the need for collaboration, and a desire for transparency and peaceful coexistence.
We are preparing an online community engagement platform to report our findings efficiently. Some groups have been eager to continue engaging with us as residents consider what is important in their communities. As a result, we have been focused on notifying nonprofit organizations and community leaders about funding opportunities and programs with solutions for local priorities. We have also provided data for recreation-evaluation projects for the Blackfoot and Bitterroot Rivers and recently had the opportunity to attend and celebrate the Grand Opening of the Blackfeet Visitor Center outside of East Glacier. We are excited to continually build relationships and act as a resource for these destinations.
April 17, 2024
In January, Western Montana's Glacier Country coordinated a series of well-attended Town Hall meetings across all eight counties in Glacier Country. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss the Glacier Country Destination Stewardship Plan and to gather resident input on challenges, opportunities and strategies for each county regarding visitors and tourism. We’ve completed meetings in Ravalli, Missoula, Sanders and Lake counties. Upcoming meetings will be held in Flathead, Glacier, Lincoln, and Mineral counties.
The Ravalli County Town Hall saw 35 participants discussing the impacts of tourism, including benefits like jobs and cultural exchange, alongside concerns about overcrowding and strained infrastructure. Similar discussions in Seeley Lake at the Missoula County Town Hall highlighted economic benefits but also raised issues like traffic and wildlife impact. Challenges such as affordable housing were recognized, with opportunities for responsible development. Lake County's Town Hall revealed mixed sentiments about tourism, emphasizing the need for improved infrastructure and engagement with younger generations.
As we continue these community conversations across the region, join us at an upcoming Town Hall meeting.
January 8, 2024
Western Montana's Glacier Country continues participating in a range of community forums, from forest and recreation planning to community visioning sessions, chamber meetings, and virtual workshops. Leveraging the information gathered at these meetings, Western Montana’s Glacier Country works to identify resources that may assist that community or organization in tackling their initiatives.
We are hosting a series of community meetings in each of the eight counties we serve. These meetings will provide information on the visitor economy specific to your community and give residents a chance to voice opinions about impacts and opportunities. Your participation allows us to have a responsible and community-centric approach to our stewardship efforts.
October 1, 2023
Western Montana's Glacier Country continues engaging with our communities, and learning about each communities priorities while watching for resources that align and can support community initiatives. We've shared over $20,000 in funding opportunities with nonprofit groups in our region, and we continually assist with data research for projects and grant applications to help community partners secure funding.
Cut Bank was recently awarded a $7,000 grant from our Cooperative Marketing Project Match Program for their community branding project, which aims to market their destination to visitors better and to attract a talented workforce. This project is part of the larger Reimagining Rural Project, which is a program spearheaded by MSU Extension to provide small towns with opportunities and resources to shape their future. This project will set a strong foundation for future projects within the community. We also just committed $15,000 for the Clark Fork Coalition’s River Ambassador Program. This project will inspire more community members and local businesses to become actively involved in protecting and restoring the Clark Fork, Blackfoot and Bitterroot rivers. Together, we can help preserve Western Montana’s rivers and protect the investments in river health for the long haul.
Western Montana's Glacier Country’s seeks to enhance and develop avenues for citizens to engage with Western Montana's Glacier Country to ensure they are informed, feel heard and become involved as we collaborate to find solutions.
July 1, 2023
Western Montana's Glacier Country has been actively visiting communities throughout Glacier Country. Meetings and listening sessions have been conducted with various groups, including the Clark Fork Coalition, Mission West Community Development Partners, and Blackfeet Nation Tribal Tourism supporters. These sessions have resulted in a network of connections and growing awareness of existing and proposed stewardship-related projects that address issues like experiential degradation, cultural preservation, collaboration opportunities, and more. Through ongoing engagement, Western Montana's Glacier Country is discovering community-driven programs and projects that align with our stewardship plan. This allows us to learn and share information about priorities, facilitate information exchange, and collaborate on stewardship initiatives that positively impact the communities involved.
April 1, 2023
Western Montana's Glacier Country has been strategically engaging with over 50 organizations and associations across Glacier Country, listening to opportunities and exploring how we can help make a positive impact in our communities. Through these discussions we have identified and discovered needs such as trail system development, river access improvements, wayfinding needs, and creating ways to highlight Glacier Country's incredible culture and artistry. As Western Montana's Glacier Country focuses on healthy destination stewardship, there are so many exciting possibilities that can enhance our recreational offerings and preserve quality of life for residents.
June, 2023: A Rural Capacity Map - To help identify communities where investments in staffing and expertise are needed to support infrastructure and climate resilience projects, Headwaters Economics
June 27, 2023: Report: Towns need tax, policy tweaks to coexist with tourists, Joshua Murdock, Missoulian
May, 2023: The Amenity Trap: How high-amenity communities can avoid being loved to death, Headwaters Economics
March 2023: The Outdoor Recreation Economy by State, Headwaters Economics
November 17, 2021: Tourism, visitors to Glacier County: Tell Glacier Country what you think at virtual meeting Nov. 19, LeAnne Kavanaugh, Cut Bank Pioneer Press
November 11, 2021: Tourism Stewardship Plan discussed, Nathan Bourne, Seeley Swan Pathfinder
November 10, 2021: Western Montana's Glacier Country aims to use ‘Destination Stewardship’ when promoting Western Montana, Nathan Boddy, Bitterroot Star
November 10, 2021: Can Glacier Country achieve ‘Destination Stewardship?’, Whitney England, Hungry Horse News
November 10, 2021: Western Montana's Glacier Country shifts gears to create plan aimed at managing growing tourism, Whitney England, Whitefish Pilot
“We must now begin to measure success against the overall wellbeing of our destinations,” Friede said. “It’s more about how to be thoughtful about the quality of the visitor while balancing that with the quality of life of the resident. That’s where this major process we’re doing right now comes into play.”
November 10, 2021: Sanders Co. residents: Tourists are welcome for brief time, Scott Shindledecker, Clark Fork Valley Press
November 9, 2021: Community members participate in long-term tourism planning, Summer Goddard, Valley Journal
Friede says, “We will be looking at how to turn challenges into opportunities, how to maximize growth to our economy, how to protect our way of life and the lands we love and how to strengthen our communities for generations to come.”
November 9, 2021: ‘Don’t Come Here’ — An Intentionally Snarky Tagline — And More Destination Strategies, Laurie Jo Miller Farr, The Travel Vertical
November 6, 2021: In an Effort to Tame Tourism, Stakeholders Seek to Define 'Destination Stewardship', Skye Lucas, Flathead Beacon
Business leaders and community stakeholders from throughout the Flathead Valley met with representatives of Western Montana's Glacier Country this week to discuss a new strategy aimed at reining in traditional marketing campaigns in favor of a more sustainable approach, which is geared toward creating “destination stewards” in a region overrun by visitation.
Dubbing it the “Destination Stewardship Strategy,” GCT kicked off the campaign at a Nov. 4 meeting, which marked the first step in a 10-year collaborative partnership between the tourism arm and other key community sectors. The strategy marks a shift away from destination marketing and instead aims to manage aging infrastructure, overcrowding and impacts on the local lifestyle.
November 3, 2021: Glacier Country holds tourism meetings, Whitefish Pilot
November 1, 2021: Western Montana's Glacier Country to Host Town Hall, Skye Lucas, Flathead Beacon
The 1987 state mandated Lodging Facility Sales and Use Tax (4%), commonly referred to as the “Bed Tax,” raises money for the Department of Commerce to spend on tourism promotion. However, Glacier Country is among the first tourism organizations in the U.S. to dedicate resources for a Destination Stewardship Plan.
“We’re very excited about this new approach,” Friede said. “We’re not doing this just for the tourists. Our ultimate customer is the resident of Montana.”
October 29, 2021: Destination Stewardship kicks off tourism town halls in Hamilton, Perry Backus, Ravalli Republic
When Western Montana's Glacier Country first opened its doors in 1985, the travel industry in Montana hardly existed.
Fast forward to now and tourism is one of the top two industries in the state, bringing in billions of dollars annually.
That growth has come with its own set of challenges, including aging infrastructure, overcrowding, affordable housing, workforce shortages and impacts on the lifestyle of local residents.
Western Montana's Glacier Country — western Montana’s regional destination marketing organization — aims to address those challenges while working to sustain the state’s growing tourism industry through its new Destination Stewardship Strategy initiative.
October 28, 2021: Engagement sought to create Destination Stewardship Plan, Andi Bourne, Seeley Swan Pathfinder
October 27, 2021: Glacier County residents asked to participate in tourism Town Hall meetings, surveys, Cut Bank Pioneer Press
“Tourism continues to play a significant role in the future prosperity of our region,” says Racene Friede, President & CEO of Western Montana's Glacier Country. “However, we must be thoughtful about how the quality of the visitor experience can be balanced with the quality of life for residents; about the types of visitors who would provide maximum financial value to our local communities while having the optimal social and environmental impact, and how we can responsibly grow our tourism industry for the benefit of all in our communities,” she says.
October 27, 2021: Events to explore balancing tourism, quality of life, Lake County Leader
July 28, 2021: From Destination Marketing to Destination Stewardship, Maggie Dresser, Flathead Beacon
To address the inevitable influx, Glacier Country collaborated with other tourism bureaus, including Explore Whitefish and Discover Kalispell, to focus on destination stewardship while partnering with the national Recreate Responsibly initiative, which encourages messages like leave no trace, know before you go and wildfire safety.
August 9, 2023: The Anti-California - How Montana performed a housing miracle, Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic
In 2015, a physical therapist named Nathan Dugan moved to Whitefish, Montana, and fell in love with the place. How could you not? The glaciers, the pine air, the small-town feel. Whitefish was always expensive: When he first got there, Dugan camped on and off for a month before he found an affordable home. But it got far more expensive during the pandemic, when wealthy retirees and digital nomads flooded the tiny town’s tiny housing market. Out-of-staters were making cash offers on homes, sight unseen. Airbnbs started going for Bay Area prices. Rentals dried up. This has become a familiar story across America, where the housing crisis has gotten so severe that even rural communities in northern Montana are feeling the pinch.
