Montana Tourism

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(No Transcript)
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Montana Tourism Recreation Strategic
Plan2003-2007
Big Sky Value

• Prepared for
• Montana Dept. of Commerce Promotion Division
• Montana Tourism Recreation Initiative (MTRI)

by The Hingston Roach Group, Inc. in association
with Premier Planning Amy Hays
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Who are Montanas Tourists?
People with out-of-state license plates
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Who are Montanas Tourists?
People passing through going elsewhere
Business travelers, conventions
Shoppers
Montanans
Visiting friends relatives
Former Montanans
Adventurers sportsmen
Destination vacationers (matures, skiers,
couples, families)
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Where Do They Come From?
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What Impact Do They Have?

• 9.6 million nonresident visitors in 2001
• 10 visitors for every Montana resident 10 more
  customers for Montana businesses
• Spent 1.7 billion during their stay
• New money for Montana economy
• 26 of food (restaurants, groceries)
• 24 on retail goods services
• 22 on gas (73 million gas taxes paid)
• 17 on lodging (hotel, BB, RV/campground, guest
  ranch)
• 10 on other purchases transportation

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Purpose of Strategic Plan(Source MT DOC RFP)

• Management tool to prioritize resources
• Information about critical tourism trends, issues
  and opportunities
• Identification of actions activities to benefit
  MTs economy citizens
• Source of opportunities for partnerships
• Assistance to agencies, businesses and
  organizations for planning and operations

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Who is the Plan for?

• Montanans interested in tourism, economic
  development, conservation Montanas quality of
  life
• Stakeholders input received from 75 stakeholder
  groups (private, public, tribal, nonprofit),
  1000 Montanans
• Planning process included
• Analysis of trends, current conditions
• Determination of common, realistic vision
• Identification of actions, partners, priorities,
  timeline

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Montanas Tourism Strengths

• 2nd largest industry in Montana (1.7 billion in
  2001)
• 9.6 million visitors
• Funding support public policy
• Rich in natural, historic cultural assets
• Variety of attractions, activities events
• Support systems services, infrastructure,
  training/education

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Montanas Tourism Challenges

• Seasonality sustainability
• Impacts/conflicts in some areas/times
• Funding, threats to lodging tax
• Montana being outspent as much as 10-to-1 on
  promotion
• Change to quality of life
• Management of natural/historic/ cultural assets
• Transportation infrastructure
• Lack of partnerships/teams (Circle the wagons
  shoot in)
• Weak linkages with other sectors/interest groups

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Montanas Tourism Opportunities

• Target higher value markets matures, heritage/
  cultural, meetings/conventions, nature tourists
• Link agriculture tourism (nonresidents ate 110
  million meals in 2001)
• Build off-peak seasons with targeted packages
• Highlight heritage cultural assets, esp. LC
• Ensure sustainability of assets with increased
  management
• Partnerships for promotion, implementation and
  funding

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Tourism Vision for 2007

• Balance between Montana's character/assets and
  needs of visitors/communities/businesses
• Cooperation between public-private-tribal-nonpro
  fit groups to work as a team on common goals
• Support funding for marketing, support
  services, mgmt of assets, technical assistance
• Respect recognition of economic social
  benefits of tourism
• Accountability comprehensive evaluation system
  to track measure results/impacts

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Guiding Principles

• Serve the needs of Montanans first (quality of
  life, economy)
• Manage for sustainability
• Maximize economic social benefits
• Retain local control
• Respect diverse needs perspectives
• Collaborate to resolve issues

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Market-Driven Approach

• Montanans nonresidents are the markets, or
  Demand
• Tourism/recreation products services are the
  Product, or Supply
• Quality/success of product depends on effective
  support business services, infrastructure,
  balanced assets management
• "Foundation" of system is planning
  partnerships, with funding for implementation
• Link between Supply and Demand is communication
  marketing, promotion public relations

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Tourism Recreation Goals

• 1. Enhance awareness support for tourism,
  including funding
• 2. Increase 4-season benefits in all regions,
  enhance products/services
• 3. Implement system to manage protect assets
  with sustainable use
• 4. Enhance maintain infrastructure
• 5. Provide business support services
• 6. Communicate with markets, track evaluate
  results
• 7. Build an effective team, partnerships to
  realize vision for 2007

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Top Priority Target Markets

• Demographic
• Mature travelers, income 75,000
• Couples, income 75,000
• Conventions meetings (non-business, MT-related
  business)
• Heritage/cultural travelers, esp. LC
• Families with children, income 75,000
• Guided adventurers, income 75,000
• Target High Value/Low Impact Travelers for Best
  Return

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Top Priority Target Markets

• Geographic
• California for vacationers
• Southwest for matures
• Midwest for families, skiers
• Eastern metro markets for vacationers
• Europe for couples, families, adventurers
• Montana for more money kept at home
• Nearby states/provinces for weekend getaways,
  skiers, conferences

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How Are Goals Accomplished?

• Managing Information
• Collection, dissemination exchange,
  emphasizing promotion/marketing
• Managing Assets
• Sustainable management of natural/historic/cultur
  al assets and infrastructure
• Creating Teams
• Collaborative partnerships (teams) for effective
  planning and implementation

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Objectives Actions
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Managing Information

• Maintain the lodging tax for tourism promotion
  development
• Build awareness of its uses
• Build awareness of tourism's benefits/impacts
• Conduct strategic promotions
• Attract top priority markets
• Create new tourism recreation products through
  packaging
• Promote off-peak packages/events to nearby markets

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Managing Information (contd)

• Create new destinations" with special
  designations events
• Implement Scenic/Historic Byway Program
• Enhance winter products/services
• Refine niche in destination ski snowmobile
  markets package skiing snowmobiling with other
  winter activities
• Attract more meetings/conventions
• Refine niche/brand" in the meeting convention
  market inventory facilities

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Managing Information (contd)

• Enhance system of tracking, analysis
  information dissemination
• Continue strategic research about resident
  nonresident travelers
• Establish a central clearinghouse" for data
  collection, analysis reporting Tourism
  Recreation Data Center
• Create a connected system to share information
  resources
• Create a resources database, central photo
  library, a tourism recreation listserv to
  share information

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Managing the Use of Assets

• Seek Balance between asset protection
  visitor/business needs
• Inventory assets, evaluate/address allocated use,
  user conflicts, invasive species
• Address access issues on public private lands
  waters
• Support special task forces develop
  collaborative strategies to improve access on
  public private lands/waters

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Managing the Use of Assets (contd)

• Develop an Enhanced transportation system
• Continue implementation of state transportation
  plans (MDT TranPlan 21, Rest Area Strategy and
  STIP)
• Seek opportunities for expansion of air, rail
  car rental
• Enhance Montanas trail system
• Create a comprehensive system" of visitor
  information interpretation
• Expand communication at rest areas, VICs
• Continue interpretive sign programs, events
  facilities
• Educate visitors about responsibilities

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Managing the Use of Assets (contd)

• Improve statewide system of highway signs
• Develop/implement sign guidelines handbook,
  utilize visitor-friendly symbol signs
• Address appropriate use/placement of billboards
  while maintaining landscapes
• Assist communities with tourism while respecting
  local values
• Continue states community tourism assistance
  programs
• Review community infrastructure, attractions,
  services
• Encourage strategic planning development tools

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Creating Teams

• Link agriculture with tourism
• Create partnerships to address asset management
  needs funding
• Identify potential partners, roles, resources,
  tasks
• Increase utilization of business assistance
  programs
• Provide tourism recreation businesses with
  more information/training opportunities

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Creating Teams (contd)

• Identify business opportunities to serve visitors
  on public lands
• Identify opportunities for services contracts
• Enhance Edu-structure" to support tourism
• Promote use of Superhost! Program
• Tourism and recreation degrees/career training
• Tourism extension agents
• Entrepreneurship
• Staff training for VICs

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Creating Teams (contd)

• Build Funding Partnerships
• Cooperative pooling of public private funds
• Develop Additional Funding Sources
• Local option taxes on tourist-used goods/services
• User fees for public facility recreation
• Local/regional revenue sharing visitor packages
• Facilitate Implementation of Strategic Plan
• Form implementation team monitor implementation
  through Dept. of Commerce/MTRI
• Conduct region/CVB workshops

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Implementation

• Adopt, endorse distribute Strategic Plan
• Form partnerships to assign tasks seek
  funding/resources
• Build capacity of regions, communication network
• Begin implementation
• Advisory group annual report card
• Monitor/evaluate results adjust

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Call to Action

• The time is now for strategic action one step
  at a time. All stakeholders need to participate.
• It is strategic thinking and acting that are
  important, not strategic planning.
  John Bryson
• Even if you're on the right track, you'll
  get run over if you just sit there. - Will
  Rogers
• How do you eat an elephant?
• One bite at a time

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For More Information

• Montana Dept. of Commerce Promotion Division
• Victor Bjornberg, Tourism Development Coordinator
• [phone], vbjornberg_at_state.mt.us
• Montana Tourism Recreation Initiative
• Carol Crockett, MTRI Coordinator
• [phone], ccrockett_at_state.mt.us