MISSOULA – Glacier Country Tourism, the officially recognized marketing, management and stewardship organization for Western Montana, recently awarded $58,000 to seven visitor information centers throughout the region including $8,000 to the Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitor Center.
Glacier Country Tourism has long supported community-based visitor information centers (VICs) with training and financial assistance.
“Studies show community-based VICs are more likely to be used by first-time visitors traveling to an area,” said Glacier Country Tourism president and CEO, Racene Friede. “Visitors who use VICs spend more time in the community and are more likely to stay longer, experience more of what that community has to offer and have an overall better experience. VICs do a great job in terms of influencing visitors and helping them learn about what there is to see and do in Glacier Country communities—this is money well spent for us.”
According to Friede, the purpose of the VIC grants is to supplement qualified visitor information center programs with paid and/or volunteer staff positions to operate their centers.
The Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitors Center is open seven days a week from Memorial Day to Labor Day. They provide information for the area and recreational recommendations for tourists who come from across the United States and international locations as well.
Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitors Center Board Member Ron Cox said without this grant, the Visitors Center would be unable to provide daily services. It also returns some of the bed tax paid at local lodging to the community to assist with information sharing.
“The Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitors Center is pleased to be acknowledged by Glacier Country as the official visitor center for Seeley Lake,” said Tom Browder, board member with the Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitors Center. “Our facility and staff are focused on understanding what our visitors want, helping them meet these needs in the valley and encouraging the patronizing of local businesses to see what makes rural communities like Seeley Lake a special place to visit.”
Chambers of commerce, economic development corporations/authorities, tourism improvement districts and visitor information centers within the Glacier Country region are eligible for this program. Geographically, Glacier Country includes Flathead, Glacier, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli and Sanders counties.
Other VICs grants awarded: Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce, $10,000; Bitterroot Valley Chamber of Commerce, $10,000; Cut Bank Area Chamber of Commerce, $8,000; Libby Area Chamber of Commerce, $8,000; Polson Chamber of Commerce –$6,000 and Whitefish Area Chamber of Commerce, $8,000.
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