Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission is creating a first-ever Destination Stewardship Plan to support the region’s biggest economic driver while preserving the quality of life for residents and quality of place for visitors. The success of this project depends on having engagement from both residents and stakeholders from across the entire region.
Residents are invited to share their hopes, concerns and ideas in an engaging Town Hall led by two tourism experts — Jim McCaul of MMGY NextFactor and Cathy Ritter of Better Destinations. MMGY NextFactor is an industry-leading consulting firm that specializes in helping destinations deliver sustainable growth while building stronger communities. Better Destinations is a consulting practice that focuses on how to maximize the benefits of tourism while addressing impacts to achieve overall positive outcomes, including stakeholder support.
There are 16 facilitated Town Hall sessions, one in-person and one virtual, for the eight counties in Glacier Country.
Missoula County’s meeting will be held at the Seeley Lake Community Hall, Nov. 1 from 3 – 5 p.m. and online Nov. 12 from 2 -4 p.m. To register for the online session visit https://mmgyglobal.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0kdeqqqTwqHNfGDd46LeM62OBK8y0qJGCI.
Lake County’s in-person Town Hall will be held at the Mission Mountain Golf Club, Ronan Nov. 2 from 9 - 11 a.m. The virtual Town Hall is scheduled for Nov. 15 from 10 a.m. -12 p.m. To register for the online session visit https://mmgyglobal.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUof-2ppjkoHdcjcEAipQtYN5yoJAEV6pHz
There are also online surveys for residents and stakeholders that will be launched Nov. 1 and be open for eight weeks. The residents’ survey will help identify and gauge residents’ perceptions on a variety of key characteristics with respect to livability, culture, economy and sense of place. The Stakeholder Assessment combines the most wide-ranging industry research available with stakeholder input, to provide destinations with strategies for sustainable growth.
Finally GCT is hosting a Tourism Virtual Summit Nov. 9 – 10 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. both days. This is a free virtual event open to everyone.
The GCT Summit is a two-day virtual educational training that focuses on Montana’s tourism industry. Speakers from Glacier Country Tourism, Destination Analysts, Tread Lightly!, Tourism Diversity Matters, Glacier Guides and Montana Raft, Job Service Missoula, ABMJ Consulting and Janna Lundquist Consulting will discuss travel and tourism trends, diversity, equity and inclusion, responsible motorized recreation messaging, building social media and workforce development and training.
For the full schedule and to register for the Summit visit https://glaciermt.com/summit To learn more about the project, please visit https://partners.glaciermt.com/destination-stewardship.
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