Be Part of a Bigger Picture

c o n n e c t

f o c u St h e l o w d o w n

Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission is a non-profit organization dedicated to marketing Western Montana as a travel destination. We are recognized by TAC (Tourism Advisory Council) and the state as the official marketing organization for Western Montana. Glacier Country is funded in part by the state accommodations tax (bed tax) and by private membership funds.

Geographically, Glacier Country includes Flathead, Glacier, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli and Sanders counties. We also are home to some of the state’s most treasured landscapes, including Glacier National Park, the Blackfeet Nation, the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, the Flathead Indian Reservation, Ross Creek Cedar Grove, Flathead Lake and some of the most iconic valleys in Montana, including the Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Clark Fork, Seeley-Swan, Mission, Flathead and Missoula.

f o c u SY o u r B u S i n e S S i S o u r B u S i n e S S

We love Western Montana. And we love the people that live and work here, striving every day to make our region a little better. We know that it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle and abundance of marketing messages, especially when you’re one voice among thousands of others. Join your voice with ours to help deliver your message.

We’re here to help increase your sales. Each year, Glacier Country advertises and publicizes businesses and services like yours to millions of potential visitors. Our job is to encourage a large target audience to choose Western Montana as their vacation destination and to help make their experience here the best it can be.

d e ta i lm a x i m i z i n g e x P o S u r e

Thousands of businesses in Western Montana benefit from our marketing programs. Members include small and large businesses of all kinds—attractions, campgrounds, galleries, theatre groups, hotels, golf courses, inns, outfitters, museums, resorts, restaurants, retail outlets and many more.

There’s strength in numbers. That’s one reason why joining Glacier Country as a member marketing partner is an excellent, profitable business decision. Together, we can market our incredible attractions, communities, businesses and services to a vast audience for a fraction of what it would cost to do it alone.

Becoming a member of Glacier Country makes good sense. For $175 annually, your business receives numerous benefits designed to help you succeed.

m e m B e r B e n e f i t S• Directorylistinginourtravelguide.Eachyearweproduceafull-colortravelguidewithaprintdistribution

of 160,000 and an online distribution of more than 80,000.

• Afeaturedlistingonourwebsiteandmobilesite,withalinktoyourbusiness.

• ElectronicnewsletterswiththelatestGlacierCountryandtourismindustrynews.

• Emailupdatesregardingmarketingopportunities.

• Emailalertsonpertinenttourismissues.

• Callcenterrepresentation.Ourcallcenterreceivesmorethan167,000phone,mailandInternetinquirieseachyear.Ourtravelconsultantswillpromoteyourbusinessduringtheseinquiries.Youcanalsopresentyour business or community highlights to call center counselors at no cost or host counselors in your community for a FAM (familiarization) trip, showcasing all you have to offer.

• Listingeventsonourwebsite.

• Submit/promotevacationpackagesonourwebsite.

• AccesstoakeysetofWesternMontanaphotosthatyoucanutilizetohelppromoteyourbusiness.

• Accesstomemberbadges.Thebadgesareavailableforuseonyourwebsiteandaredesignedtoindicatethat you’re a member of Glacier Country and a supporter of the local state economy.

• AbilitytoutilizetheGlacierCountryeventscalendaronyourownwebsite.

• Opportunitytoprovidecouponsforgoodsandservicesfortravelers.

• Lodgingfacilitieshavefreeaccesstoallleadsgeneratedfromtravelandtradeshows,suchasNTA,ABAand Go West.

• AccesstotheMemberCenter,whichallowsquickaccesstoinformationsuchasourmarketingplan,budget reports, ad campaigns and more.

As a Glacier Country member, you have exclusive opportunities not available anywhere else. Participation for someofthesemayrequireadditionalfeesorcomplimentaryservices,butofferexcellentvalue.

• Displayadvertisinginthetravelguideatadiscountedrate.

• Opportunitytoparticipateinco-oponlineandmagazinemarketingprograms.

• Participationinpresstrips.

• Hotlinksindirectemailssenttomorethan80,000potentialtravelerseach year.

• Networkingopportunities.

• Mediadiscounts.

• Onlinepromotions.

• OpportunitytopurchasequalifiedleadsatlowcostfromtheGlacierCountry database.

• Customdesignedbanneradvertisingonourwebsite.

• Opportunitytoparticipateindigitalrevenueadvertisingpackages.

These high value co-ops and advertising opportunities are available to our member marketing partners only. Please call 406.532.3234 for details.

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6 E XPERIENCESYOU WON’T FIND ANYWHERE ELSE

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EXPLORE the CROWN OF THEC O N T I N E N T

V IEWSS U R E T O A M A Z ES10

MONTANA’S CULTURALTREASURESA R T S & T H E AT R E T H R I V E

e x P o S u r eS P r e a d i n g t h e w o r d

Glacier Country participates in a variety of advertising efforts that include online advertising, placing ads in key print publications and participating in advertising co-ops with our partners, such as Montana Office of Tourism.

In the past year, we’ve placed ads in various publications, media outlets and CVB travel guides such as Via, Seattle met magazine, texas monthly, minneapolis/St.Paul magazine, caa/westworld, aarP, fly fisherman, Pacific northwest golfer, Sunset, Better homes & gardens, national geographic traveler, Backpacker, Budget travel, Snowest, outside magazine, delta Sky, Powder magazine, Ski magazine, Seattletimes.com, oregonlive.com,

e x P o S u r e

c o - o P B e n e f i t S• A larger and coordinated presence in targeted publications.

• Placementswithinornearstrongeditorialprovidemoreinformationandgrabreader’sattention.

• Strongphotosandvisualsenhancetheoveralllookandfeelofplacement.

• Allpartneradsincludeanimage,logo,copyandcontactinformation.

“WE’vErECEIvEDBOOkINGS that are directly attributed to Glacier Country’s website and our featured listing as a member. Our company and the experience we offer has also been featured in media articles as a result

of participating in their publicity program and taking advantage of press opportunities.” Kienan Slate, 10,000 waves raft & Kayak adventures

chicagotribune.com, latimes.com, Startribune.com, azcentral.com, Sfgate.com, chron.com, dallasnews.com, timesunion.com (albany, nY), Bismarktribune.com (nd), canada.com (edmonton, calgary, fort mcmurray), canoe.ca and facebook.

S e r V i c ea n S w e r i n g t h e c a l l

At Glacier Country, we want to help our visitors have the best experience possible in Western Montana. This means we’re helping them with information on things to do, places to stay, attractions and more. We assist our visitors through a variety of fulfillment tools, including our call center, website, mobile site and travel guide.

CALL CENTER Our call center is staffed Monday – Friday from 8 AM – 5 PM, where our travel consultants field more than 70,000 calls annually.

WEBSITE Glaciermt.comhasmorethanonemillionuniquevisitorseachyear,anumberthathasdoubledin the last five years. Visitors to the site spend an average of five minutes per visit, using the site as a pertinent resource for accurate and up-to-date information on Western Montana.

MOBILE SITE With the demand for readily available information, Glacier Country has a mobile site designed specifically for on-the-go travelers with smart phones. The mobile site allows them to access usable information from wherever they are, whether it be on their subway commute or once they arrive in WesternMontana.DuringFY2011/2012,thesitehadover100,000visitors.

TrAvELGuIDE Our travel guide is designed to read like a magazine, telling visitors about our region’s highlights, attractions, activities, recreational opportunities and marketing partners. We print 160,000 guides each year that are distributed around the world, with an estimated readership of 400,000. We also have an interactiveversionofourguidethathasbeenaccessedbymorethan80,000uniquevisitorsthisyear.

e d u c at i o n a n d r e P r e S e n tat i o n

At Glacier Country, we strive to stay up on the latest travel news, research and trends in an effort to help sustain tourism as one of the top industries in Montana. As an organization, we want to be ahead of the curve and utilize cutting edge programs and tools to promote Western Montana. When possible, we hold educational seminars for our partners throughout Western Montana to help them utilize similar practices in their businesses.

LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS Glacier Country is an active advocate for legislative efforts that impact travel and tourism, both at state and national levels. We are in regular contact with local representatives, as well as our representativesinWashingtonD.C.,wherewecommunicateourtakeandinsightsontourismissues.Duringthe last legislative session, we took a leading role in updating Montana lawmakers on the importance of travel and tourism to our state and will continue to play an active role in these outreach efforts.

OuTrEACHPrOGrAMS In the last few years, we’ve implemented programs to help provide support and education for members and communities throughout the region. We coordinate educational seminars, with topics that include international travel marketing and social media. We’re also available as a resident tourism resource and are happy to speak at meetings on the importance of tourism, travel trends, etc. In addition, we participate in community blitzes, where we explore a town or city in Glacier Country and learn all we can to help better market that area.

vICFuNDING Glacier Country provides a program that allows us to provide staffing assistance to non-profit visitor information centers. Last year, we supported visitor information centers in Cut Bank, Columbia Falls, Bigfork,Eureka,LostTrail(MT/IDborder),Hamilton(Bitterroot),Haugan(FriendsofSavenac),BlackfeetCountry and Seeley Lake, with an average of $30,000 annually.

“TOURISM MATTERS TO MONTANA. The bottom line is if it weren’t for tourism, we would not be in business. Tourism brings money into our state and

into our community. As a direct result of tourism, we employ more than 85 people in the summer and had a payroll of more than $500,000 in the first nine months of

2010. That’s what tourism is about—providing good paying jobs.” Sally thompson, co-owner, glacier raft company

P r o m o t i o nt h e B u z z

PuBLICITY Glacier Country has a full-time Public Relations & Communication Manager that is dedicated to working with the press and helping facilitate stories and media coverage on Western Montana. This is done through building relationships, story pitches and hosting press trips throughout the region. In the last year, our publicity program reached more than 293 million potential visitors and provided an editorial value of more than $1.3 million. Glacier Country works in partnership with Montana Office of Tourism, CVBs and other partners in these efforts.

The publicity department is also responsible for our social media efforts, including maintaining our facebook page, pinterest boards, twitter account and blog, as well as updating and managing our photo library.

GrOuPTOur/MEETINGSANDCONvENTIONS/INTErNATIONAL Glacier Country has a Tourism Sales Manager that is dedicated to helping facilitate visits to Western Montana from tour operators, groups and meetings and conventions—both international and domestic. This position represents Glacier Country at trade shows, helping us reach professionals who bring visitors from around the world to Western Montana. Glacier Country works in conjunction with Montana Office of Tourism and other partners in these efforts.

c l o u tt o u r i S m m at t e r S t o m o n ta n a

Tourism is big business in Montana and brings in approximately $2.77 billion to the state each year from non-resident travelers. Many organizations work behind the scenes to help promote tourism and visitation to Montana, including Montana Office of Tourism and Glacier Country, as well as other regions and convention and visitor bureaus.

BEDTAx A 7 percent accommodations tax is collected at all lodging properties, including hotels, motels, inns, vacation rentals, resorts, bed and breakfasts and campgrounds. While 3 percent goes to the General Fund, 4 percent goes to support travel related partners, such as Montana Office of Tourism, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, ITRR and the regions and CVBs throughout the state. Glacier Country receives a portion of the 4 percent bed tax to promote Western Montana.

c l o u tFACTS & FIGURES

• Non-residentvisitorstoMontanahadatotaleconomicimpactofmorethan$2.77billionin2011.

• Thetopfivenon-residenttravelexpendituresareongasoline/oil,restaurants/bars,retailsales,accommodationsandgroceries/snacks.

• Tourismandrecreationbusinessessupported39,000Montanajobsproviding$896millionin worker’s salaries.

• Nearly10.5millionvisitorstraveledtoMontanain2011.

• Non-residentvisitorsgenerated$276millioninstateandlocaltaxrevenuesin2011thusreducingthetaxburden on residents by approximately $687 per household.

• Everydollar($1)spentonpromotingMonanayields$156invisitorspending.

Gasoline, Oil $947,600,000 34%

Retail Sales $542,720,000 20%

Restaurant, Bar $532,960,000 19%

Hotel,B&B,etc. $343,170,000 12%

Groceries, Snacks $194,720,000 7%

Auto Rental & Repairs $75,090,000 3%

License, Entrance Fees $52,050,000 2%

Outfitter, Guide $41,520,000 1%

Campground, RV Park $19,920,000 1%

Misc. Services $15,970,000 1%

Gambling $8,260,000 <1%

Transportation Fares $370,000 <1%

HOWTHE4%LODGINGFACILITY uSETAxISDISTrIBuTED

62%DEPArTMENTOFCOMMErCE/MT OFFICE OF TOURISM

22%TOurISMrEGION/CvBS

6%MTFISH,WILDLIFE&PArkS

4%HISTOrICALSOCIETY

2%MTHErITAGEPrESErvATION&DEvELOPMENTCOMMISSION

2%uNIvErSITYOFMT/ITrrrESEArCH

2%DEPArTMENTOFrEvENuE

HOWTHE7%LODGING TAxISDISTrIBuTED

41%|3%LODGINGFACILITYSALESTAxDEPOSITEDINGENErALFuND

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2011vISITOrSPENDING$2.77BILLIONINNEWMONEY

d e d i c at i o nd e d i c at e d t o P r o m o t i n g t o u r i S m i n w e S t e r n m o n ta n a .

Our marketing efforts are directed by a board of Western Montana business people, all of whom are active in tourism.

Trudy Berge

Jackie Cripe

JessicaDowning

MickHolien

Pam Lewis

Paul London

Randy McIntyre

DianeMedler

Alana Mesenbrink

Jan Metzmaker

Gabe Millar

Barbara Neilan

Joan Prather

DeeAnnrichardson

Jodi Running Fisher

Leslee Smith

Alicia Thompson

Ryan Thompson

President:DenisevanArtsdale

1stvicePresident:BruceHaller

2nd Vice President: Luke Walrath

Secretary/Treasurer:robertCarette

PastPresident:DiannaPlum

AtLarge:ramonaHolt

At Large: Carole Johnson

d e d i c at i o n

“GLACIErCOuNTrY’SrELATIONSHIP with business incentive companies helped pave the way for us to be recognized by an

incentive company and build a relationship with them that has resulted in real business.” dawn Jackson, the lodge at whitefish lake

rACENEFrIEDE, ExECuTIvE DIrECTOr

TIATrOY, PUBLIC RELATIONS & COMMUNICATION

MANAGER

DOTTIEOLOFSON,SPECIAL

PROJECTS

krISTIMCNEAL, OFFICE

MANAGER

GLACIErCOuNTrYrEGIONALTOurISMCOMMISSION

glaciermt.com | 406.532.3234 www.membercenter.glaciermt.com

fax: 406.532.3236 | glaciercountry@glaciermt.com

“OurPArTICIPATIONINGLACIErCOuNTrY co-op advertising opportunities has been hugely successful in driving web traffic to Glacier Park, Inc. and has resulted in real reservation conversions for our properties. In addition, our partnership on press trip opportunities and the media coverage resulting from those trips have been essential to the success of our operating season. From our perspective, the return on investment for Glacier Country membership is outstanding compared to other associations we’re involved with. Our active involvement with Glacier Country has also helped us foster and build relationships with our colleagues and has provided a better understanding of the tourism industry in Montana ” alicia thompson, glacier Park, inc.