Tourism focus of economic prosperity forum

The impact of out-of-state tourism on Lincoln County’s economy was the focus of a forum attended by around 50 people Wednesday evening at Libby City Hall’s Ponderosa Room.

According to figures compiled by the Montana Department of Commerce’s Office of Tourism, 11 million visitors came to Big Sky Country in 2014 and spent $4 billion during their stay. For Lincoln County, the most recent figures available are for 2013, when nonresidents spent more than $61 million. Fuel purchases made up nearly half that total, with retail, grocery, restaurant and bar visits and miscellaneous services rounding out the top five.

Nearly three out of every four people visiting Lincoln County also visited Glacier National Park, and more than half saw Yellowstone as well. Sixty-three percent of first-time visitors to the state go to at least one of the national parks, but 85 percent return and visit lesser-known areas.

Thirty-three percent of the people visiting Lincoln County in 2013 came in groups of all first-time visitors, 61 percent were in groups all repeat visitors, and six percent were in mixed groups.

Almost a quarter of visitors to Lincoln County came from Washington, with 13 percent coming from Idaho, nine percent from Alberta, eight percent from British Columbia, and six percent from Minnesota.

Visitors to Montana are increasingly making use of online resources including various social media, and promotional efforts are following suit.

“We have a social media manager now,” said Pam Gosink of the Office of Tourism. “We didn’t have one two years ago.”

Gosink said she strongly encourages business owners to join the conversation and take the advantage to promote themselves on sites like Yelp, Urbanspoon and TripAdvisor.

Representatives from local groups involved in tourism shared their experiences. Darren Short of the Igniters Car Club reviewed the growth of the annual car show from its humble beginnings in the early 1980s to an event that draws hundreds of visitors to Libby every year.

“The first car show I can remember, there were six cars here,” Short said.

Last year’s show had more than 400 registered entries, which is about the most it can sustain at this time, Short said. The limiting factor is the number of motel rooms available, he said.

With that in mind, organizers of the car show extended the event from one day to two, with the addition of a Friday night cruise, and more recently to three, with a Thursday poker run.

“Every night that we can keep them in town it compounds the amount of money that’s brought into the economy,” Short said.

Susie Rice of the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River bicycle ride, or STOKR, said it’s the availability of lodging that’s capped the size of that event as well. The first year, 1995, drew 100 riders. There were 450 at last year’s STOKR, with organizers having to turn away 72 others, who will get preference during next year’s registration.

“A big thing for them is the lack of traffic, and the traffic they do encounter is generally pretty courteous toward them,” Rice said.

Other factors bringing riders back year after year include the scenery, the hometown feel, and enthusiastic volunteers, she said.

Dave Blackburn of Kootenai Angler talked about the role of fishing on the Kootenai River as a still untapped resource. The river provides some of the best fishing in the state but remains largely unspoiled due in part to its distance from major urban centers, Blackburn said.

Kristin Smith discussed the efforts of Libby Now! – which she described as “a diverse group of professionals” – to promote the community’s transition from Superfund cleanup to a healthy, self-sustaining economy. Efforts have focused on identifying local amenities and creating a unified brand. The group has selected “Kootenai River Country/Go Wild!” as a marketing slogan and logo that can be adapted for a variety of uses.

Libby would not be the only community in the state to use tourism as a pillar in overcoming tough times, Gosink said. Butte has faced similar economic and environmental issues but has had success in turning things around, she noted.

“It just takes work and timing and it’s not going to happen overnight, but you’ve got to start somewhere and it’s baby steps to get this going,” Gosink said.

Wednesday’s forum was part of an ongoing series on the future prosperity of Lincoln County sponsored by a coalition that includes the Libby Area Chamber of Commerce, Revett Minerals, Kootenai River Development Council, Molly Montana Real Estate, Idaho Forest Group, Clearwater Montana Properties, Lincoln County Tourism Bureau, Lincoln County Asbestos Resource Program, Montana Wilderness Association and Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. The previous forum, held in February, focused on the recreation economy. The next two forums will be held April 15 and May 13 with subjects to be announced.