Glacier Country - Annual Report 2018

GLACIER COUNTRY TOURISM

FY 2018 Annual Report

Dear Glacier Country Tourism Partners and Stakeholders, The Western Montana tourism industry has much to celebrate. We have achieved eight consecutive years of record visitation and visitor spending; more than 17,500 Montanans in our region are employed in the tourism industry, earning $397 million in wages; and we are one of the top regional vacation destinations in the northwest Rocky Mountain area.

Glacier Country receives 33% of nonresident visitor spending ($1.08 billion) and visitation (3.3 million) and 29% of all resident spending in Montana ($351 million) and 27% of all resident overnight trips.

We have been successful because we are constantly innovating how we market our destination. To this end, Glacier Country Tourism complemented our year-round consumer marketing programs by partnering a second year with Warren Miller Entertainment for an in-movie inclusion in the worldwide ski movie “Line of Descent,” launching a new website, expanding our efforts in the travel trade sector and continuing our successful earned media program.

We invested $375,000 in paid print and digital placements in Brand USA, Real America, Yellowstone Journal, SnoWorld, SnoWest, Smart Meetings, Ski, Backpacker, WarrenMiller.com, TripAdvisor, Madden Media and advanced audience marketing on Facebook, Sojern, LiveIntent to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Seattle, Minneapolis, Denver, Chicago, Phoenix and Alberta, Canada, which resulted in: + + + + + + +

Consumer response = 1,764,000 Electronic response = 1,685,000 Social media audience = 365,000 Responsive website = 1,500,000 Consumer database = 790,000 Qualified B2B database = 1,754 Earned media ad value = $1,486,000

The entire Montana tourism industry is grateful to the Montana Legislature for continuing to provide promotion funding through the lodging facility use tax and resources needed to successfully market our state, region and community destinations. This continued investment means the average tax burden on every Montana household is reduced by $426, according to the Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development. We look forward to creating more innovative and cutting-edge programs that will generate an even greater return on our investment throughout the entire Glacier Country region. Thank you for your continued support and for all you do to help make Glacier Country an incredible travel destination.

Racene Friede Executive Director, Glacier Country Tourism 2

GL AC IE R C OU N T RY T OUR ISM | F Y 2 0 1 8 ANNUAL REPO RT

© NICHOLAS PARKER

CONTENTS General Information. . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Montana Tourism Economy . . . . . . 5 Our Brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Advocacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Outreach and Education . . . . . . . . 7 2018 Highlights Rural Corridor Marketing Plan. . . 8 Fire Impact and Response . . . . . 9 Financial Overview . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Public Relations and Earned Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Tourism Sales - B2B. . . . . . . . . . . 14 Visitor Information and Call Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Consumer Marketing . . . . . . . . . . 17 Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Marketing Goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Agency of Record . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

FRONT COVER © ANDY AUSTIN, BACK COVER © NOAH COUSER

G LA C I E R C O U N TRY TO U RI S M | F Y 2 0 1 8 AN N U A L R EP O RT

3

G E N E RA L IN FO

GLACIER COUNTRY TOURISM Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission is a nonprofit organization dedicated to marketing Western Montana, which includes the eight counties of Flathead, Glacier, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli and Sanders, including Glacier National Park and other entities.

MISSION Dedicated to promoting tourism in Western Montana.

VISION Be the leading force effectively marketing the region and educating the public regarding the power of tourism while encouraging respect for our outstanding natural environment and quality of life.

VALUES + Leadership + Integrity + Collaboration + Inclusiveness + Passion + Innovation

+ Stewardship + Accountability

DESTINATION MARKETING Destination marketing is a type of marketing that promotes a destination (town, city, region, country) with a purpose to increase the number of visitors.

A destination marketing (or management) organization (DMO) is responsible for promoting a community as an attractive travel destination and enhancing its public image as a dynamic place to live and work. Through the impact of travel, DMOs strengthen the economic position and provide opportunity for people in their community. In Western Montana, the officially recognized DMO is Glacier Country Tourism—one of 25 regional and community destination marketing organizations across Montana.

Glacier Country Tourism creates a yearly marketing plan to establish a promotion strategy for all travel-related advertising, trade sales and publicity to: + + + +

4

Reach identified markets and audiences.

Present them with a unified message.

Create a desire to visit.

Get visitors to come and stay in the state, region or community area.

GL AC IE R C OU N T RY T OUR ISM | F Y 2 0 1 8 ANNUAL REPO RT

Montana Tourism Economy According to the University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research (ITRR):

Nonresident visitors spent

12.5 million

$3.24 billion

Resident visitors spent

in direct expenditures, which is new money for Montana’s economy.

$1.134 billion

%

nonresident visitors traveled to Montana in 2017.

in direct expenditures (leisure one-day and multiday trips).

Travel and tourism directly support approximately

38,890 jobs (+14,400 more indirect) and $885 million in worker salaries.

75% of every visitor dollar is spent in our local communities.

The tourism industry works to promote and preserve the qualities that make Montana a great place to live, work and play.

Travelers add to the lifestyle many Montanans enjoy. Better air service results in competitive airfares, and the quality and quantity of restaurants, retail shopping, special events, recreation opportunities and attractions are increased.

What residents of Montana enjoy now is far more than what the state’s population could support on its own.

G LA C I E R C O U N TRY TO U RI S M | F Y 2 0 1 8 A AN N N U A L R EP O RT

5

OUR B RA N D

BRAND The Montana brand is Glacier Country’s brand.

Our offerings—specifically nature, communities and welcoming residents—blend together to provide services and experiences that help share our marketing messages while effortlessly aligning with our three brand pillars:

More spectacular unspoiled nature than anywhere else in the lower 48 states

According to ITRR, 15% of nonresident visitors in 2017 were first-time visitors, 72% were repeat visitors and 78% plan to return to Montana within the next two years.

While people certainly come to Montana for its beautiful landscapes and exciting recreation, it is the many Montanans who deliver genuine and authentic experiences that help turn our first-time visitors into return visitors.

15% of nonresident visitors in 2017 were first time visitors

© JASON SAVAGE

Vibrant and charming small towns that serve as gateways to the state’s natural wonders

Breathtaking experiences by day and relaxing hospitality at night © NOAH COUSER

6

GL AC IE R C OU N T RY T OUR ISM | F Y 2 0 1 8 ANNUAL REPO RT

72% 78% were repeat visitors

plan to return to Montana within the next two years

ADVOCACY Tourism Matters to Montana is a collaborative group of destination marketing organizations including tourism regions, convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs) and tourism business improvement districts (TBIDs) across Montana. It operates as a committee under the umbrella of Glacier Country Tourism, which is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization. It acts as an independent committee with separate accounting. Funding comes from non-lodging tax sources including TBIDs, membership funds and resort tax areas.

Because Tourism Matters to Montana partners are often associated with chambers of commerce, economic development associations and other membership organizations, these two entities represent thousands of tourism businesses across Montana.

The primary purpose of Tourism Matters to Montana is legislative advocacy during both general and special sessions of the Montana legislature. + Protect the 4% lodging tax used for tourism promotion. + Emphasize that tourism doesn’t just happen.

+D estination marketing is highly competitive. Not only do the western United States and Canada have similar products, but so do countries across the world with bigger marketing budgets to keep their destinations top of mind to potential visitors.

+M ontana’s promotion funding must remain (at minimum) at current levels or increase for us to continue to bring new travel dollars into our communities. +M onitor and take positions on issues that impact the tourism industry either directly or indirectly. + Collaborate with partners to provide accurate information on legislative bills. +C ollaborate with partners to support or oppose bills under the name of Tourism Matters to Montana and assist DMOs and their networks to do the same. +E ncourage industry partners to engage with their elected officials and participate in the legislative process. +W ork with tourism partners to provide a unified voice on issues and collaborate on strategy development and implementation on proactive and reactive legislation. +M aintain tourismmattersmt.org, social channels and newsletter to support efforts.

Provides easy access to current legislators, bills, communication tools and talking points for issues.

OUTREACH AND EDUCATION Voices of Montana Tourism is an independent organization that serves as a united voice for Montana’s tourism stakeholders.

Since its creation in 2011, Voices has led the effort with education and outreach to communicate the immense value a sustainably grown tourism industry provides for all Montanans. Glacier Country Tourism was one of the many founding partners and continues to play an active role in the governance and oversight of its mission and supporting programs.

Funding for this organization comes from a variety of sources, including lodging tax. In 2017, Voices of Montana Tourism became a standalone 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It does not take positions on legislative issues.

In 2018, Tourism Matters created a work group to bring tourism leaders from key sectors of the Montana tourism industry together to build and foster stronger relationships based on communication, collaboration and cooperation.

G LA C I E R C O U N TRY TO U RI S M | F Y 2 0 1 8 A N N U A L R EP O RT

7

2018 HIGHLIGHTS

Š NOAH COUSER

RUS SE NOR

RURAL CORRIDOR MARKETING PLAN In 2018, Glacier Country Tourism developed a strategic marketing plan specific to its rural corridors. We identified nine corridors covering our smaller communities. Our marketing plan, to be implemented in FY 2019, consists of developing a marketing opportunity packet to be used to educate our communities on Glacier Country Tourism, our benefits to communities and our benefits for partners.

The Glacier Country Tourism team will schedule at least one focused trip per year to each corridor that will include social coverage and a meeting with community members.

We will also implement an annual training and education event that will focus on our smaller communities and rural corridor promotion.

In addition to our education, outreach and training, Glacier Country Tourism will report quarterly on our marketing efforts for each corridor and will develop a rural grant match program to launch in 2019.

Rexford

Yaak

NORTHWEST CORRIDOR

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

Eureka Polebridge

Fortine Trego

Stryker

Olney Columbia Falls

TOUR 200

Trout Creek

Swan Lake

Proctor Dayton

Rollins

Polson Hot Springs

Saltese De Borgia Haugan

Plains Paradise

St. Regis

Pablo Ronan

Augusta

Arlee

Alberton

Missoula

Bonner

Clinton

Lolo

Florence Stevensville

Lincoln

Corvallis Hamilton

G

Wolf Creek

Neihart

Helmville

BLACKFOOT CORRIDOR Drummond Garrison

Victor

BITTERROOT VALLEY

Raynes

Monarch

Craig

Ovando Greenough

Frenchtown

Belt

Cascade Seeley Lake

Huson

Ulm Stockett

Deer Lodge

Philipsburg

Canyon Creek

Helena Elliston

East Helena Montana City W inston

Clancy

White Sulphur Springs

Jefferson City

Basin

Townsend

Mar

Boulder

Ringling

Georgetown Lake Anaconda

Darby

Butte W ise River

Sula

Dewey Divide W isdom

Melrose

Whitehall Logan Harrison

Silver Star Twin Bridges

Pony Sheridan

Bannack

Dillon

Three Forks

Wilsal

Manhattan

Gallatin Gateway Norris

Nevada City

Polaris

Jackson

GL AC IE R C OU N T RY T OUR ISM | F Y 2 0 1 8 ANNUAL REPO RT

Fort Shaw

St. Ignatius Ravalli

Superior

L

Fairfield

Condon

Conner

8

Fort Benton

Choteau

Charlo Moiese Dixon

I-90 CORRIDOR

Bynum

SEELEY-SWAN CORRIDOR

Elmo Big Arm Thompson Falls

GLACIER Dupuyer NATIONAL PARK Conrad SURROUNDING AREA Brady

Ferndale

Lakeside

Rud

Chester Valier

Heart Butte

Bigfork

Somers

FLATHEAD CORRIDOR

Shelby

Essex

Kila

Marion Noxon

Cut Bank

Browning

East Glacier Park

Coram Martin City Hungry Horse

Kalispell Heron

Sunburst

West Glacier

Whitefish

Libby

St. Mary

Lake McDonald

Apgar

Troy

EAST GLACIER CORRIDOR

Babb

GOINGTO-THE-SUN ROAD

Clyde

Livingst

Bozeman Big Sky

Alder Virginia City

Belgrade

Ennis

Emigrant Pray

Cameron Grant West Yellowstone

Gardiner

FIRE IMPACT AND RESPONSE The summer 2017 fire and smoke conditions had a profound impact on the communities involved.

We utilized the opportunity to devise a marketing strategy addressing the immediate situation, and we used the lessons learned to develop a longer-term strategy addressing and supporting similar potential tourism challenges.

We drafted a marketing campaign that created opportunities for the impacted area. “Sled the Burn” promoted the two snowmobile trail systems that connect in and around the burn area. This campaign was targeted to key geographic markets and leveraged donated time from Glacier Country Tourism’s agency of record and available Warren Miller video resources. Our campaign included a targeted landing page, sledtheburn.com, with travel and snowmobiling information for all three communities. The available budget was spent completely on advertising.

The Libby snowmobile campaign showcased winter recreation in the Libby burn area. Again, all $5,000 went directly to paid media that directed traffic to Libby’s chamber of commerce site. They proactively added winter content to their website and managed a vacation giveaway.

These grant-funded efforts inspired us to help build the rural community marketing program. For FY 2019 we will focus $40,000 to assist communities not served by funded convention and visitor bureaus to think strategically about sustainable tourism development and promotion strategy.

Wake up your winter in the little town where big adventure never sleeps.

Libby sits humbly in the northwest corner of Montana surrounded by pristine national forestland. The terrain is epic and the powder is the epitome of perfection.

406-293-4167

•

905 W 9th St

•

Libby, Montana

•

LibbyChamber.org

SEELEY LAKE • OVANDO • LINCOLN

MONTANA

With over 300 inches of snow every year and over 600 miles of groomed snowmobile trails, the Seeley Swan and Blackfoot valleys offer extraordinary snowmobiling and backcountry sled skiing.

SLEDTHEBURN.COM

Sled the burn on thousands of acres of once densely forested land now open to snowmobiling due to the Rice Ridge and Alice Creek fires.

G LA C I E R C O U N TRY TO U RI S M | F Y 2 0 1 8 A N N U A L R EP O RT

9

FI N A N CIA L OVER V I E W

By the Numbers FY 2018 Annual Lodging Tax Budget 8% General Marketing

36% Marketing Support 47% Consumer

9% Publicity

FY 2018 Annual Private Budget 2% General Marketing

57% Marketing Support

39% Consumer

2% Publicity

10

GL AC IE R C OU N T RY T OUR ISM | F Y 2 0 1 8 ANNUAL REPO RT

Glacier Country Travel Region Spending 2017

$1.1 billion

nonresident spending

7% increase over prior year

$351 million

resident spending

2017 Nonresident Expenditure Percentages in Glacier Country Travel Region Gasoline, Diesel 16%

Retail Sales 12%

Hotel, Motel 12%

Restaurant, Bar 22%

Outfitter, Guide 9%

Transportation Fares <1%

Groceries, Snacks 9%

Farmers Markets <1% Gambling <1% Vehicle Repairs 1% Miscellaneous Services 1% Š NOAH COUSER

Campground, RV Park 2%

Auto Made in Rental Montana 3% 3%

Licenses, Entrance Fees 5%

Rental Cabin, Condo 4%

G LA C I E R C O U N TRY TO U RI S M | F Y 2 0 1 8 A N N U A L R EP O RT

11

FI N A N CIA L OVER V I E W

Š CHRIS MCGOWAN

By the Numbers Glacier Country Region 2017

$9,559,658

Glacier National Park Visitation Stats (NPS)

lodging tax collected in 2017

9% increase over prior year

12% increase over prior year

Airport Increases (Missoula and Kalispell) MSO

772,625

539,588 passengers in 2017

2% increase

9.5% increase

12

Glacier Country Partners FY 2018

FCA

passengers in 2017

over prior year and all-time record

3,305,512

visitors in 2017

over prior year and all-time record

GL AC IE R C OU N T RY T OUR ISM | F Y 2 0 1 8 ANNUAL REPO RT

361 total partners

new partners

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND EARNED MEDIA

Our Public Relations and Earned Media program focuses on promoting Western Montanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Glacier Country as a tourist destination through earned media by meeting with journalists and influencers at conferences and media events and hosting events in regionally and demographically targeted cities.

Glacier Country Tourism works with journalists and influencers, creating itineraries and experiences in Western Montana representative of what the area has to offer and the interests of the publication and influencer audiences. Earned media totals approximately $1.5 million this year.

EARNED MEDIA FY 2018

$1,486,088 10,682,154 DIGITAL INFLUENCERS + $4,245 in total earned media + 28,962 likes + 697 comments

in total earned media total circulation for print media

745,774,390 58 19 total articles

PUBLIC RELATIONS EVENTS +D allas, in partnership with Destination Missoula and Missoula International Airport

total unique visitors for online media

media trips

MEDIA EVENTS/CONFERENCES + I nternational Media Marketplace, IMM, January 2018 New York City + IPW, May 2018 Denver

G LA C I E R C O U N TRY TO U RI S M | F Y 2 0 1 8 A N N U A L R EP O RT

13

TO UR I SM S AL ES

TOURISM SALES - B2B

Tourism Sales Management actively markets Western Montanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Glacier Country to domestic group tour operators, international free independent travel (FIT) and the meetings and convention markets by focusing on business-to-business relationships and also assisting with requests for destination-related weddings and reunions. Glacier Country Tourism attends trade shows and fosters relationships with professionals around the world interested in bringing visitors to Western Montana.

TOUR AND TRAVEL (DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL) +6 5 new tour and travel contacts added to our database of 815 accounts + 1 international FAM tour with 50 attendees +N ational Tour Association Travel Exchange, December 2017 San Antonio +A merican Bus Association Marketplace, January 2018 Charlotte + Go West Summit, February 2018 Salt Lake City + International Roundup, April 2018 Kalispell + IPW, May 2018 Denver MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS +5 52 new meeting planner contacts added to our database of 820 accounts +8 Meeting RFPs distributed to convention facilities in Western Montana +1 meeting planner FAM with 4 meeting planners, generating 4 RFPs and 2 confirmed meeting programs in Glacier Country + IMEX America, October 2017 Las Vegas + Connect PNW, November 2017 Seattle

14

GL AC IE R C OU N T RY T OUR ISM | F Y 2 0 1 8 ANNUAL REPO RT

B2B BLOG STATS

89,728

total visits Nearly doubling visits from FY 2017

+ Top 3 Posts From B2B Blog

1

Top 5 Reasons to Choose Western Montana for Your Mountain Meeting

2

One Day in Glacier National Park

3

Guest Post: Montana’s Not So Off Season

MEETINGS COOPERATIVE +G lacier Country Tourism partnered with Destination Missoula and Discover Kalispell for a cooperative advertising program with Smart Meetings.

The campaign included: +S pread in January “Mountain Meetings” issue

+8 0,000 readers, convention managers, meeting planners, CEOs, VPs, directors, marketing and sales +H igh-impact interstitial and digital banners on smartmeetings.com

146,013 impressions

1,606 clicks

1.10%

impressions

122

respondents

MEETING PLANNER NEWSLETTERS + 24% Open Rate + 2.3% Click Rate TOUR OPERATOR NEWSLETTERS + 18% Open Rate + 1.4% Click Rate

SMART MEETINGS SURVEY RESULTS February 2018

Average number of attendees per planned event or meeting: 1 - 50: 28/114 24% 50 - 100: 33/114 30% 100 - 500: 43/114 38% 500 and over: 9/114 >1%

>1% 500 and over 24% 1-50 38% 100 - 500 30% 50 -11

Types of meetings planned: Board or corporate retreats: 25/114 Association meetings, conferences, and trade shows: 57/114 Training sessions: 18/114 Corporate incentive travel: 14/114

11% Corporate incentive travel

22% 50% 16% 11%

116 leads

22% Board or corporate retreats

16% Training sessions

click through rate (CTR)

+C ustom Lead-Generating Survey

25,786

B2B EMAIL NEWSLETTERS + 2,273 Total Sends

50% Association meetings, conferences and trade shows

When seeking a new destination, what matters most: Accessibility, transportation lodging needs: 47/114 42% Attendee experience and excitement about the destination: 51/114 45% Support provided by DMO/CVB: 4/114 >1% Quality of site and community engagement: 6/114 >1% Return on investment: 6/114 >1%

42% Accessibility, transportation, lodging needs

>1% Return on investment >1% Quality of site and community engagement >1% DMO/CVB 45% Attendee experience and excitement about the destination

G LA C I E R C O U N TRY TO U RI S M | F Y 2 0 1 8 A N N U A L R EP O RT

15

VI S I TO R INFO + CONSUMER MARKETING

VISITOR INFORMATION AND CALL CENTER

191,277

Total inquiries 16% Increase from FY 2017

53,000

Travel guides sent out

Visitor Information Center Program Glacier Country funded 10 VICs providing personal travel counseling to

11,476 people Top Five States:  Montana  Washington  Canada  California  Oklahoma  Idaho Customer Service Training

 Nine trainings throughout the region in FY 2018

 Free for businesses and communities

 Focused on existing workforce employees

 Provided through Flathead Valley Community College

 Attended by travel counselors from all funded VICs

16

GL AC IE R C OU N T RY T OUR ISM | F Y 2 0 1 8 ANNUAL REPO RT

Consumer Marketing FY 2018 Media Performance

28.8 million impressions

228,250 clicks

Winter Campaign Overview

.79%

average click through rate (CTR)

OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE

9.7 million

BEGINS WITH AN ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT WIN $500 TOWARD YOUR WINTER VACATION

impressions

OUTSIDE

96,653

PERSPECTIVE BEGINS WITH AN

ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

clicks

.99%

BEGINS WITH THREE FEET OF POWDER

WIN $500 TOWARD YOUR WINTER VACATION

average CTR

WIN $500 TOWARD YOUR WINTER VACATION

Warm Season Campaign Overview

14.7 million impressions

OUTSIDE

PERSPECTIVE

BEGINS WITH THE PULL

OF A PADDLE

OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE BEGINS WITH AN ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT WIN $500 + PARK PASS

52,165 clicks

OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE BEGINS WITH THE PULL OF A PADDLE

.35%

average CTR WIN $500 + PARK PASS

WIN $500 + PARK PASS

G LA C I E R C O U N TRY TO U RI S M | F Y 2 0 1 8 A N N U A L R EP O RT

17

S O CI A L MED I A

SOCIAL MEDIA

FY 2018 Stats

364,288 12.3 million

Instagram

@glaciermt

@glaciermt

@glaciermt

34,156

Snapchat

LinkedIn

@glaciermt

@glaciermt

Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission

8,022

GL AC IE R C OU N T RY T OUR ISM | F Y 2 0 1 8 ANNUAL REPO RT

10,658

Pinterest

3,536

Total Engagement

18

Twitter

315,611

Total Audience

#GlacierMT

Facebook

posts with over

610

50 million impressions

126

Consumer Blog

116,275 visits Top 5 Posts

1

1 Amazing Places in Montana 2 You’ve Never Heard Of

4

7 Things to Do in Montana This Fall

2

31 of the Best Photo Ops in Montana

5

Top 10 Things to Do Near Glacier National Park

3

7 Things to Do in Winter if You Don’t Ski

ANDY AUSTIN MONTANA SPRING ROAD TRIP Glacier Country hosted digital influencer Andy Austin for the final leg of his Montana Spring Road Trip, which took him from the National Bison Range, up Tour 200 through Thompson Falls and up to Libby and Eureka. His social coverage included Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and multiple blogs. Glacier Country also acquired gorgeous photo and video assets from the trip to help promote these communities in future marketing efforts. Andy Austin will return for future rural corridor road trips.

© ANDY AUSTIN

© ANDY AUSTIN

© ANDY AUSTIN

G LA C I E R C O U N TRY TO U RI S M | F Y 2 0 1 8 A N N U A L R EP O RT

19

W E BS I T E

WEBSITE

Website Traffic Overview

1,499,122 total visits

462,390 mobile visits

73,556 digital travel guide visits

Top 10 Pages

20 20

GL GL AC AC IEIE RRCC OU OU NNT T RY RYT OUR T OUR ISM ISM | | F F Y Y2 0 21 08 1 8ANNUAL ANNUALREPO R EP O RT RT

1

Summer 18

6

Glacier Park Itineraries

2

Winter 17

7

Camping

3

102 Things to Do

8

Cabins

4

Glacier Park

9

Hot Springs

5

Stay

10

Byways

From: Tia Metzger tia@windfallstudio.com Subject: Fwd: MONTANA: Winter Snow Watch Date: February 7, 2019 at 8:54 AM To: Megan Richter megan@windfallstudio.com

© NOAH COUSER

Tia Metzger Windfall, Inc. E: tia@windfallstudio.com P: 406-532-7963 C: 406-529-8864 Begin forwarded message:

Top 10 States and 1. California 2. Texas 3. Washington 4. Illinois 5. Montana 6. Utah 7. New York 8. Oregon 9. Ohio 10. Minnesota

Cities 1. Dallas 2. Chicago 3. New York City 4. Salt Lake City 5. Seattle 6. Los Angeles 7. Houston 8. San Francisco 9. Minneapolis 10. Calgary

From: Western Montana's Glacier Country <no-reply@glaciermt.com> Subject: MONTANA: Winter Snow Watch Date: December 6, 2017 at 10C16C27 PM MST To: <tia@windfallstudio.com> Reply-To: Western Montana's Glacier Country <no-reply@glaciermt.com>

EMAIL MARKETING

In FY 2018, Glacier Country distributed four consumer newsletters, four B2B newsletters, four partner newsletters and two targeted newsletters.

WINTER 2017

SKI MONTANA

GLACIERMT.COM

ENTER TO WIN

Savor Winter: Ski Montana

6 Downhill Resorts + Endless Backcountry Terrain We’re a little biased, but Montana is good at pretty much everything—especially winter activities; we’ve got skiing down pat. There’s no shortage of incredible downhill adventure here, and our brag-worthy backcountry beckons. With thousands of acres of terrain, including six downhill resorts, ski vacations are made here. The scenery is epic and the powder is fresh.

Plus, affordable lift tickets, nonexistent lift lines and authentic ski towns complete the package.

Whitefish Mountain Resort offers world-class skiing on mixed terrain along with breathtaking views of Glacier National Park. Feeling extra adventurous? Explore our backcountry and find pure winter bliss.

Consumer Newsletters

926,930 total recipients

Ski Montana and discover the depths of winter adventure. While you’re at it, enter to win up to $500 in gift cards at glaciermt.com/winter.

77,015 opens

Snowmobiling Hotspots

Glacier Getaway Deals

Glacier Country is a sledder’s paradise, with premier groomed trail systems leading to powder stashes, ridgetop views and excellent hill climbing. Rent a sled or book a guided trip, and revel in the adventure.

Seeley Lake is a prime snowmobiling destination, with 350 miles of groomed trails. Discovery calls from every direction with scenic lookouts, cozy lodges, cafés and backcountry lakes for ice fishing. Popular trails include Double Arrow Lookout and Marshall Lake scenic loop. Or, head to

It’s no secret that we love Montana. We also love sharing the love with our biggest admirers: you. That’s just part of the unrivaled warm western hospitality we’re known for, and why there’s usually a vacation deal in Glacier Country that’s perfect for you. Get away, and savor the savings along with the magic of our stunning winter wonderland. Our partners are always offering special room discounts, romantic weekend getaways, spa and ski packages and dine-and-stay steals. Find a

Libby and sled the untouched wilderness of the Kootenai National Forest.

deal, and find yourself in Western Montana’s Glacier Country.

8.31%

average open rate

13,538 clicks

1.46%

average click rate

G LA C I E R C O U N TRY TO U RI S M | F Y 2 0 1 8 A N N U A L R EP O RT

21

MARKETING G OAL S

Meeting Our Objectives

2018 MARKETING OBJECTIVE RESULTS

2018 MARKETING GOALS + Raise awareness of Glacier Country as a recognized tourism destination in identified markets and audiences. + I ncrease visitation year-round (especially shoulder and winter seasons) + I ncrease visitation among resident, nonresident, domestic and international travelers. This includes:

 Continue emphasis on cultural attractions found throughout Glacier Country including Indian nations, historic sites, museums, etc.

 Generate inquiries and convert them to visitors by capturing names for database marketing.

 Encourage visitors to share their experiences through emerging technologies and tools such

as social media channels and blogs.

+ I ncrease overall consumer response by 2% or 1,611,590

Final: 1,763,955

+ I ncrease electronic response by 2% or 1,418,935

Final: 1,685,115

+ I ncrease social media reach by 2.5%

Final social media actual engagement: 12,336,774

© JASON SAVAGE

22

GL AC IE R C OU N T RY T OUR ISM | F Y 2 0 1 8 ANNUAL REPO RT

Total audience: 364,339, 5% increase

+ I ncrease responsive website by 2% or 1,317,617

Final: 1,499,122

+ I ncrease consumer database by 2% or 788,650

Final: 789,860

+ I ncrease B2B database by 3% or 900

Final: 1,754

+ I ncrease media stories by 1% or $3,872,011

Final: $1,486,000

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Robert Carette

Muffy Bullock

Brian Morton

(President) - Marina Cay Resort

St. Regis Travel Center

Ninepipes Lodge

Ramona Holt

Kascie Herron

Barb Neilan

(1st VP) - Holt Heritage Museum

American Rivers

Destination Missoula/CVB/TBID

Chase Averill

Cris Jensen

Amy Overstreet

(2nd VP) - Flathead Lake Lodge

Missoula International Airport

Cut Bank Chamber of Commerce

Victoria Lee

Tyrel Johnson

Amber Pacheco-Holm

(Secretary-Treasurer) Glacier Distilling Company

Glacier Park Boat Company

Libby Area Chamber of Commerce

Karr Bergmann

Mike Johnston

Rick Sinclair

Montana River Guides

Diamond S RV Park & Campground

Jen Kreiner

Kristin Smith

Sanders County Community Development

Cabinet Mountain Brewing

Matt Lautzenheiser

Stephanie Vielle

Historical Museum at Fort Missoula

Blackfeet Nation

Red Lion Ridgewater Inn & Suites Polson

Dylan Boyle Explore Whitefish/CVB

Shannon Brilz University of Montana

Diane Medler Discover Kalispell/CVB/TBID

STAFF

AGENCY OF RECORD, WINDFALL INC. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MISSOULA, MONTANA

Racene Friede

Tia Metzger

Holly Kuehlwein

Executive Director

Glacier Country Account Executive, Media Buyer

Project Manager, Partnership Specialist

Jim McGowan

Megan Richter

Principal, Strategic Planning

Creative Director

Scott Woodall

Kyle McGowan

Sales and Partnership Development

Digital Director

Kristi McNeal Office Manager

Debbie Picard Tourism Sales Manager

Lucy Guthrie Beighle Public Relations and Earned Media Manager

Alex Wardwell Social and Video Specialist

Aerionna Hardesty Sales and Marketing Assistant

G LA C I E R C O U N TRY TO U RI S M | F Y 2 0 1 8 A N N U A L R EP O RT

23

24

GL AC IE R C OU N T RY T OUR ISM | F Y 2 0 1 8 ANNUAL REPO RT