The Destination Stewardship Plan provides a 10-year action plan for responsibly stewarding our destination and supporting the economic health of our region. Reports from the process are posted detailing the insights gained from our research and community engagement.
Destination Stewardship Plan FINAL – October 11, 2022
October 7, 2024: Introducing Engage.GlacierMT.com
Western Montana's Glacier Country launched Engage.GlacierMT.com, a dynamic platform created 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 helps strengthen community ties and promote awareness of important issues.
As a cornerstone of our Community Engagement Program, this platform plays a vital role in efforts to balance economic growth, sustainable visitation and preserve the quality of life that makes our region unique.
July 8, 2024: Town Hall Series Wrap-Up
Western Montana's Glacier Country wrapped up a series of town hall meetings with rural communities in Flathead, Glacier, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli and Sanders counties. Hundreds of residents joined the discussions to share their thoughts on the impacts of the visitor economy, learn about our destination stewardship and plan, and engage in meaningful conversation.
President & CEO Racene Friede facilitated in-depth conversations about the benefits and drawbacks of the visitor economy. Benefits included economic diversity, entrepreneurial inspiration and community pride, while concerns centered on increased traffic and strain on emergency services and outdoor recreation. Common themes included the value of self-reliance, a need for collaboration and a desire for transparency and coexistence.
To efficiently report findings, we prepared an online community engagement platform. Some groups expressed a desire to stay engaged as residents continued to reflect on community priorities. In response, we focused on notifying nonprofit organizations and community leaders about funding opportunities and programs offering local solutions. We also provided data for recreation-evaluation projects for the Blackfoot and Bitterroot rivers and celebrated the grand opening of the Blackfeet Visitor Center outside East Glacier.
April 17, 2024: Ongoing Town Halls
In January 2024, Western Montana's Glacier Country coordinated a series of well-attended town hall meetings across all eight counties. The purpose of these meetings was to discuss the Destination Stewardship Plan and gather resident input on visitor economy challenges, opportunities and strategies specific to each county. Meetings were completed in Ravalli, Missoula, Sanders and Lake counties, with sessions planned in Flathead, Glacier, Lincoln and Mineral counties.
The Ravalli County Town Hall drew 35 participants who discussed both the benefits of the visitor economy—such as jobs and cultural exchange—and concerns like overcrowding and infrastructure strain. In Seeley Lake, Missoula County residents emphasized similar themes, with added attention to traffic and wildlife impact. Affordable housing was a recurring issue. In Lake County, conversations focused on infrastructure needs and youth engagement.
January 8, 2024: Building Community Connections
Western Montana's Glacier Country participated in a variety of community forums, from forest and recreation planning to chamber meetings, community visioning sessions and virtual workshops. Insights gathered at these meetings helped identify resources and partnerships that could support local initiatives.
A series of community meetings was hosted in each of the eight counties we serve. These meetings shared visitor economy data and provided space for residents to express concerns and ideas, helping ensure a responsible, community-driven approach to stewardship.
October 1, 2023: Supporting Local Projects
Western Montana's Glacier Country continued building relationships with communities and identifying shared priorities. Over $20,000 in funding opportunities was shared with nonprofit groups, and we regularly assisted with data research to support grant applications and project development.
Cut Bank received a $7,000 grant through our Cooperative Marketing Project Match Program to support its branding initiative geared toward marketing their destination to visitors and attracting a talented workforce. This project was part of the larger Reimagining Rural Project, a program spearheaded by MSU Extension to provide small towns with opportunities and resources to shape their future. We also committed $15,000 to the Clark Fork Coalition's River Ambassador Program to inspire more community members and local businesses to become actively involved in protecting and restoring the Clark Fork, Blackfoot and Bitterroot rivers.
These efforts aimed to enhance citizen engagement, ensure communities felt heard and encourage collaborative problem-solving.
July 1, 2023: Early Engagement Efforts
Western Montana's Glacier Country conducted meetings and listening sessions with organizations like the Clark Fork Coalition, Mission West Community Development Partners and Blackfeet Nation Tribal Tourism supporters. These sessions built connections and raised awareness about stewardship-related projects, including experiential degradation, cultural preservation, collaboration opportunities and more.
April 1, 2023: Community Needs + Stewardship Priorities
Western Montana's Glacier Country engaged with over 50 organizations across the region to identify opportunities for positive community impact. Discussions revealed needs such as trail system development, improved river access, wayfinding, and highlighting local culture and artistry. These conversations shaped our approach to destination stewardship, focusing on enhancing recreation and protecting resident quality of life.
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 | Report by Headwaters Economics
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
Destination Stewardship Stakeholder Survey Report
Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research 2021 Data on Nonresident Visitor Spend by County
Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Data on Nonresident Visitor Characteristics by County
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 aims to use ‘Destination Stewardship’ when promoting Western Montana – Whitney England, Whitefish Pilot
"We must now begin to measure success against the overall wellbeing of our destinations. 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." – Racene Friede
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
"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." – Racene Friede
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," WMGC 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.
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
"We're very excited about this new approach. We're not doing this just for the tourists. Our ultimate customer is the resident of Montana." – Racene Friede
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.
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. 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." – Racene Friede
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.
Related News
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.