Montana Gov. Schweitzer mum on more funding for tourism. Fort Benton named tourism community of year

Gov. Brian Schweitzer offered no major initiatives to help promote Montana Tuesday but told 400 members of the travel industry he would veto any legislative effort to divert bed tax money from tourism promotion.

Schweitzer spoke at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Recreation at the Heritage Inn in Great Falls.

He praised the travel industry for collecting the bed tax and the state’s promotion efforts. He noted that for every $1 spent on tourism promotion, $3.50 is returned in state and local taxes paid by visitors.

The governor didn’t indicate whether he would try to increase those promotional dollars, as some in the tourism industry have advocated.

By PETER JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Writer

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Fort Benton named tourism community of year

By Tribune Staff

Fort Benton was honored as the tourism community of the year at the Tuesday night closing banquet of the Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Recreation.

Mike Scholz, chairman of the Tourism Advisory Council, singled out the city on the Missouri River, known as the birthplace of Montana, for its "exceptional work in promoting, preserving and improving its image."

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