Montana Outfitters and guides important piece of $1.8 billion tourism pie

The tourism industry brought $1.8 billion to Montana’s economy in 2002.

And 4 percent of that was spent by tourists hiring outfitters and guides to lead hunting, fishing and horseback-riding expeditions, Betsy Baumgart of Travel Montana said Thursday.

By KAYLEY MENDENHALL Chronicle Staff Writer

http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2004/01/10/news/tourismbzbigs.txt

"Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the state," Baumgart told members of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, or MOGA, which is meeting in Bozeman this week. "It is big business. It is important business in Montana."

Baumgart spoke to guides and outfitters from all over the state, who were at the GranTree Inn to learn about issues affecting their businesses.

"Tourism has increased by 16 percent over the past 10 years," Baumgart said. "Even in 2001, with the 9/11 tragedy, Montana had growth of about 1 percent."

In part, that continued growth is due to the fact that Montana isn’t dependent on international visitors and most tourists drive here, instead of flying.

Most of the 9.7 million tourists come from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California, she said. Most of the anglers come from California and most of the hunters come from Washington.

The other reason for the continued growth is that Montana is still perceived as a safe place.

Lee Hart, owner of the Broken Hart Ranch near Gallatin Gateway and MOGA’s new president, concurred in his comments preceding Baumgart’s speech.

"Things are looking good for us," Hart said. "We’re not rich, but we have money in the bank."

Tourists are drawn by Montana’s open spaces, mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, national parks and wildlife, Baumgart said. And the state capitalizes on those attributes in its advertising campaigns.

Travel Montana, which is part of the Montana Department of Commerce, spends more than $2 million annually advertising and marketing the state, she said.

She showed several television commercials the agency broadcasts in other states to lure tourists here. Each shows pristine Montana landscapes and promotes the idea that a trip to Montana rejuvenates a person.

But several of the outfitters in the audience were critical of the ads because they did not include a person fly fishing from a boat or a group of people on horseback. Those images would more specifically help their businesses.

"We are trying to do a broad image of Montana," Baumgart said. "These are not specific niches, we are trying to show the whole state."

The commercials are intended to get people thinking about Montana, she said. Once they want to come visit here, the agency can then provide specific information on different tourist opportunities.