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Reflecting on the past quarter, our team is excited to share some of the highlights from our efforts in promoting Western Montana's Glacier Country across various group markets.
On the domestic group tour front, Aerionna represented Western Montana at ABA's Marketplace in Nashville, Tennessee, in January. Her interactions with 45 group tour operators reaffirmed the growing demand for rural destinations, fresh mountain air, and immersive experiences within our national parks and beyond. Many tour operators have recognized the value of partnering with receptive operators, finding it more cost-effective and efficient for delivering exceptional client experiences.
The team has been championing Western Montana’s allure to international audiences as well. At the Go West Summit in Tahoe, Nevada, in February, Debbie engaged with international tour operators crafting fly-drive itineraries incorporating western states, drawing special attention to Western Montana. Her presence at this summit underscores Glacier Country’s commitment to showcasing the region as a top destination for international travelers seeking authentic experiences in the heart of nature.
Moreover, Debbie has been actively advocating for the hosting of meetings and events in our region, responding to numerous RFP requests from meeting and retreat planners. The importance of retreats, conventions, and conferences not only contributes to sustained employment opportunities but also fosters economic growth across various sectors, including hospitality, dining, transportation, retail and the arts. If you're affiliated with an association or have insights into regional meetings that align with our offerings, we welcome your collaboration. Glacier Country partners are invited to contact Debbie at debbie@glaciermt.com to become more active in promoting your businesses to these markets.
This quarter Western Montana’s Director of Communications, Lucy Beighle, attended International Media Marketplace in New York City, where she met with 25 international and domestic media. Lucy also attended the Destinations International Marketing and Communication Summit, where the hot topic was the use of AI in the destination arena. The event is attended by 400 PR and Communication professionals from DMOs of varying sizes, providing beneficial networking and discussion opportunities with peers who are experiencing similar opportunities and challenges.
In January, Lucy hosted @TravelingMel for a low-impact, recreate responsibly couple’s winter trip in the Bitterroot Valley. One of the results was a charming Valentine’s guest blog on GlacierMT.com. In February, @SuziontheMove came to the northern part of the region, and between dogsledding in Bigfork, snowshoeing in Glacier National Park and snowmobiling outside Whitefish, showed that February is a fantastic month to visit.
Upcoming shows for Lucy include the Governor’s Conference in Missoula, IPW in LA, and a product verification trip to the Flathead Valley. If your business is new or is offering something new and interesting and you’d like us to check it out, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Conversations with media inevitably involve the question “what’s new in your region?”
Partners interested in hosting media or showcasing their business can reach out to Lucy at lucy@glaciermt.com for potential inclusion in a FAM or media trip.
This quarter Glacier Country’s Director of Communications, Lucy Beighle, hosted a FAM trip in partnership with Destination Missoula. The four-day, shoulder-season trip included six travel writers who hailed from California, Washington, New Mexico and Vancouver. Based out of Missoula, the diverse itinerary included Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort, Double Arrow Lodge, Travelers Rest State Park, Holt Heritage Museum, Garnet Ghost Town and numerous culinary and beverage experiences that represented the region well.
Following the FAM trip, Lucy participated in the Travel and Words Conference that took place in Missoula November 12 – 14. Besides industry-specific speakers, the conference also included appointments with all 27 travel writers in attendance as well as numerous networking opportunities.
At the end of January, Lucy attended IMM (International Media Marketplace) in NYC—her sixth year in attendance. The event is very successful in reinforcing established relationships as well as connecting with new international and domestic media.
Partners interested in hosting media or showcasing their business can reach out to Lucy at lucy@glaciermt.com for potential inclusion in a FAM or media trip.
We have been showcasing the advantages of holding retreats, meetings and conventions in Western Montana. In November, we engaged with meeting planners from across the U.S. at the Smart Meetings and Small and Boutique Meetings conferences and shared the unique appeal of our region. The meetings industry plays a pivotal role in sustaining year-round employment, benefiting not only the hotel sector but also restaurants, retail, activity providers, and Montana's vibrant arts and culture scene. By fostering these meetings and events, we contribute to the overall economic vitality of our communities. The increased demand for airline flights resulting from these events improves accessibility and creates better price points for residents. This, in turn, broadens travel options for those who enjoy exploring destinations beyond our state borders. As a Western Montana's Glacier Country partner, your insights and industry connections are invaluable. If you belong to an association or know of a regional meeting that aligns with our Western Montana offerings, we invite you to reach out. Your collaboration can help us bring more impactful shoulder season meetings and events to Montana. Contact Debbie Picard at debbie@glaciermt.com.
On the domestic group tour front, Aerionna Skrutvold, attended the National Travel Association’s Travel Exchange in Shreveport, LA, Nov. 12 – 14, where she met with 24 domestic tour operators for 7-minute appointments. Demand for rural destinations, fresh mountain air and national park vacations remains strong from group tour clients. Other trends include:
In January, Aerionna also attended ABA’s Marketplace in January and met with 45 tour operators. If you have specific offerings for the group tour market or if there are any changes in your offerings that could be highlighted, please feel free to share more details. Contact Aerionna Skrutvold at aerionna@glaciermt.com.
Western Montana continues to be featured in blogs and articles, and oftentimes with a Recreate Responsibly or sustainability component to the feature. @HoneyTrek visited in September, with a theme of “the romantic and sustainable side of Glacier Country.” @2TravelDads came in October, as did @BonTraveler.
The Western Montana's Glacier Country team attended an educational conference hosted by U.S. Travel in Savannah, Georgia, in August. ESTO includes sessions and tracks for executives, sales, marketing, public relations, and community engagement, so the conference was useful for all of us, and the networking with other professionals in our industry was very valuable.
The Montana chapter of the Public Relations Society of America met in Missoula in October, and Western Montana's Glacier Country played a role in welcoming fellow communication experts while showcasing what we have to offer in the region. If you are interested in having your business showcased in a FAM, we do have a couple on the horizon—contact Lucy Beighle at lucy@glaciermt.com to see if it’s a good fit.
Discover the pulse of Western Montana's business-to-business tourism landscape through our Western Montana's Glacier Country B2B blog, B2B.glaciermt.com, which had an annual viewership of 101,000 in FY 2023. Bimonthly, Western Montana's Glacier Country serves up a generous helping of insights for meeting planners and tour operators (both domestic and international) seeking to unlock deeper engagement and growth in these markets in our region. We share industry wisdom and spotlight best practices, and we keep these markets in the loop with the freshest trends in Western Montana. With shoulder seasons just around the corner, we're looking for tourism partners eager to share their stories through a guest blog. Here is a shining example of a guest blog by Destination Missoula. Take advantage of this opportunity to shine the light on your group offerings, unveil hidden gems for the international visitor, and attract guests during the off-peak periods transforming shoulder seasons into a season of business growth.
Each year, our sales team develops new Western Montana itineraries for tour operators. For FY 2023, we introduced three itineraries focusing on off-peak season promotion and off-the-beaten-path destinations: "Early Fall Adventure Tour," "Winter Holiday Tour," and "Hidden Gems: Butte to Glacier National Park." Find them on our Tour Operator microsite: touroperators.glaciermt.com.
For more details on how to tell your business's story and become a guest blogger, or should your business wish to delve deeper into the group tour market, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to support you. Contact Debbie Picard at debbie@glaciermt.com or Aerionna Skrutvold at aerionna@glaciermt.com.
In April, Northwest USA Spotlight was held in Missoula and attended by 14 domestic tour companies that either want to expand tours or learn more about the region for new tour itineraries. Western Montana's Glacier Country’s Group Sales Associate, Aerionna Skrutvold, hosted a pre-FAM and spotlighted the communities of Butte, Polson, Kalispell and Charlo, as well as Glacier National Park. One operator said it was the best FAM they’d been on in 37 years in the industry. The pre-FAM and trade show have already resulted in new tours being scheduled for Montana in 2024.
Western Montana's Glacier Country’s Director of Sales, Debbie Picard, attended International Roundup in Boise in April where she met with international and U.S. receptive tour operators interesting in learning more about the five-state region (MT, ID, WY, ND, SD) brand The Great American West. IPW, the largest international trade show for international buyers, was held in May in San Antonio, where the Montana booth saw a record number of appointments. The comments received included that the U.S., and particularly our region, is very appealing, however, it’s expensive compared to other countries, which makes travelers put travel to the U.S. on hold while they find better deals in other countries.
Debbie also attended Meeting Professionals International’s World Education Conference and continues to learn how to put Western Montana’s Glacier Country front of mind for meetings, retreats and conventions. Western Montana's Glacier Country partners who would like to promote your business specifically to the meetings, domestic group and international tour markets via our B2B Blog, b2b.glaciermt.com, let us know at debbie@glaciermt.com. For Glacier Country business partners interested in following up, leads can be found at partners.glaciermt.com/business-to-business-leads-group-tour-international-meetings-and-conventions.
Western Montana's Glacier Country’s Director of Communications, Lucy Guthrie Beighle, attended IPW in San Antonio in May where she met with 25 international journalists and bloggers. The appointments were assigned based on mutual interest, and the media came from various target market countries, including the UK, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, France and Italy.
In June, Western Montana's Glacier Country hosted blogger Valerie Stimac for an Astrotourism/Dark Skies in Western Montana trip. The four-day adventure took Valerie from Whitefish to East Glacier Park and included a cultural adventure hike with Iron Shield Creative on the Blackfeet Reservation.
Glacier Country has assisted with and been featured in a number of publications this past quarter, including two articles in AFAR Magazine, one on northern lights (featuring the Seeley Swan Valley) and one on the reservation system in Glacier National Park, an article in Northwest Travel and Life on Glacier Park International Airport and an article in Meetings Today featuring Glacier Country as a meetings destination.
For the upcoming six months, Lucy will be hosting at least one journalist, blogger or influencer per month, with diverse itineraries and areas of interest.
Partners interested in hosting media or showcasing their business can reach out to Lucy at lucy@glaciermt.com for potential inclusion in a FAM or media trip.
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. Western Montana's Glacier Country continues to recommend shoulder-season tours to help alleviate congestion in the busy summer months. In April, we partnered with Discover Kalispell and the Butte-Silver Bow CVB to host a pre-FAM for tour operator attendees of the Northwest USA Spotlight trade show, hosted in Missoula. Aerionna then attended Spotlight, where she continued to build relationships with the tour operators who had a significant interest in creating or expanding tours in Montana.
Western Montana's Glacier Country’s 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. There is pent-up demand for travel, and rural, less populated areas are still seeing more interest. However, top-tier cities are making a comeback as top destinations for international travelers as well. With a strong dollar, the U.S. is also very expensive compared to other countries, which makes visitors put travel to the U.S. on the back burner and flock to other places, like South Africa, for a better deal.
Destination wedding inquiries for this summer were up, and the meetings and conventions market saw significant growth in RFP requests for Western Montana. Fortunately, we are seeing longer booking window trends as well. Western Montana's Glacier Country partners who would like to promote your business specifically to the meetings, group and international tour markets via our B2B Blog, b2b.glaciermt.com, let us know at debbie@glaciermt.com. For Western Montana's Glacier Country business partners interested in following up, leads can be found at partners.glaciermt.com/business-to-business-leads-group-tour-international-meetings-and-conventions.
This quarter, Western Montana's Glacier Country’s 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.
Western Montana's Glacier Country hosted blogger Christopher Mitchell/Traveling Mitch for a Winter Activities in Western Montana trip. The five-day adventure took Chris on a loop through rural Western Montana with activities like dog sledding, snowshoeing, fat biking and snowmobiling, all while recreating responsibly.
Adventuring Eyes/Sarah and Miles Bielski, who Western Montana's Glacier Country hosted in the fall of 2022, recently posted on Instagram “How to Plan for a Glacier National Park Trip,” which received 19,800 responses, 168 comments and 376,000 views. The “know before you go” theme of the post was very timely as Glacier National Park has updated their reservation system for this coming season.
Partners interested in hosting media or showcasing their business can reach out to Lucy at lucy@glaciermt.com for potential inclusion in a FAM or media trip.
