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State tourism study in Montana to focus on Butte, Absarokee, and Cooke City

The Butte-Silver Bow Convention and Visitors Bureau said that Butte has been selected as one of three communities to participate in the 2005-06 Montana Community Tourism Assessment Program.

The nine-month assessment process is designed to help Montana communities determine how tourism can help diversify and expand their economy.

The program is offered through the Montana Commerce Department’s Promotion Division, Montana State University Extension and University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Division.

By The Standard Staff

Full Story: http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2005/08/23/newsbutte/hjjejbhgjjicei.txt

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Absarokee, Butte and Cooke City Selected For Montana’s 2005/2006 Community Tourism Assessment Program

The communities of Absarokee, Butte and Cooke City have been selected to participate in a 9-month long assessment process designed to help Montana communities determine how tourism can help diversify and expand their area economy. The tourism assessment program is offered to communities through the Montana Commerce Department’s Promotion Division, MSU Extension and the University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research (ITRR).

“Thirty-five Montana communities have used this process to better understand the role tourism plays in their local economy and to understand what role their residents would like it to play,” said Anthony J. Preite, Director, Montana Commerce Department. “Now, Absarokee, Butte, and Cooke City have the opportunity to use the assessment program resources to develop strategies and tourism-related projects that can benefit their communities, socially and economically.”

The Montana Community Tourism Assessment Program (CTAP) is a community "self help" program developed to assist communities identify what role, if any, tourism can play in strengthening local economies. The Montana Commerce Department’s Promotion Division and MSU Extension provide the process facilitators while the ITRR provides research services.

Through CTAP, a community follows a 9-month process of analysis, assessment, and evaluation. The process begins with a detailed program introduction and community organization. For Absarokee, Butte and Cooke City the initial CTAP meeting will take place in September. The process continues with a comprehensive analysis of the community’s current economic structure, its assets, resident attitudes toward tourism, area lifestyles, marketing, and the community’s existing and potential tourism resources.

After the initial analysis, the community and its assessment partners identify potential tourism products that can be developed in the area. They then determine the social,

economic and environmental impacts, positive and negative, that are expected to result
from this product development. Once the analysis and assessments are completed, the community determines what tourism-related projects, if any, should be pursued.

Tourism is one of Montana’s leading basic industries. In 2004, 9.8 million people visited Montana spending over $1.9 billion during their stay. This visitor spending created a $3 billion benefit for Montana’s economy. Montana’s tourism industry has an annual payroll of $429 million and directly involves 29,250 Montana jobs.

The contacts for the 2004/2005 CTAP communities are:

Absarokee: Roberta Kerr Parrott, CTAP Project Coordinator, 406-328-7064 or 321-

1298

Butte: Randy Rafish, Coordinator, Butte/Silver Bow Convention and Visitors

Bureau, 406-723-3177, [email protected] ; Dorothy Czehura,
Montana Tech Foundation,

Cooke City: Jim Sage, CTAP Project Coordinator, 406-838-2182

Since the CTAP process was created in 1991, 35 Montana communities have participated. The CTAP graduates include:

* 1991-1993 CTAP Pilot Project Community: Choteau
* 1994-1995 CTAP Communities: Glendive, Lewistown, Libby
* 1995-1996 CTAP Communities: Bitterroot Valley/Hamilton, Fort Belknap, Three Forks
* 1996-1997 CTAP Communities: Deer Lodge, Glacier County/Blackfeet Nation, Livingston, Northern Cheyenne Tribe
* 1997-1998 CTAP Communities: Broadus, Havre, Laurel
* 1998-1999 CTAP Communities: Anaconda/Deer Lodge County, Dillon, Hardin
* 1999-2000 CTAP Communities: Glasgow, Red Lodge, Whitehall
* 2000-2001 CTAP Communities: Fort Peck Reservation, Miles City, Pondera County
* 2001-2002 CTAP Communities: Kalispell, Malta, White Sulphur Springs
* 2002-2003 CTAP Communities: Eureka, Sanders County, St. Ignatius
* 2003-2004 CTAP Communities: Crow Reservation, Great Falls, Wibaux
* 2004-2005 CTAP Communities: Chippewa Cree Tribe, Harlowton, and Helena

Anthony J. Preite, Director
Montana Commerce Department

406-841-2700
Contact: Victor Bjornberg
Promotion Division
406-841-2795

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