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Billings Chamber bidding on tourism contract

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  • Originally published July 31, 2010 at 8:01 a.m., updated July 31, 2010 at 4:40 p.m.

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - The Billings Chamber of Commerce is putting together a bid for the $400,000 state contract to promote tourism in southeastern Montana.

Earlier this year, the Department of Commerce ended its contract with Forsyth-based Custer Country Montana Inc. to promote tourism in 13 counties. The nonprofit used an abbreviated bidding process to have a company owned by a member of the Custer Country Montana board publish its tourism guide.

The chamber wants to market Custer Country as a historic adventure, Brewer said. The area includes Montana's largest city along with Makoshika State Park, the Little Bighorn Battlefield, unique dinosaur finds and other outdoor adventures, chamber President Jim Brewer said.

He said Custer Country relied heavily on the printed vacation guide and did not keep pace with other kinds of marketing, like social media and a stronger online presence.

"If it's packaged correctly, I think this region can be much more of a destination to leisure travelers," Brewer said.

Custer Country is one of Montana's six regional tourism promotion groups. The regional groups each receive a portion of the lodging tax money collected in the area, and Custer Country received about $400,000.

The chamber also receives a portion of the lodging tax dollars raised in Billings and uses the money to market the city.

"We have more than 20 years of experience in open meetings, management and being fiscally conservative with the lodging tax," Brewer said.

If its bid is successful, the chamber will create a nonprofit group, with representation spread evenly around the counties and American Indian reservations that make up Custer Country. Brewer said he has been meeting with tribal and local leaders in the region to introduce the chamber's plan and make it clear the Billings group won't just market the city.

Some members of the old Custer Country promotion group have said they are reformulating the nonprofit and intend to apply for the contract.


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