MISSOULA HOSTS WORKSHOP TO SHOW HOW CULTURAL TOURISM CAN BOOST LOCAL ECONOMIES, MARCH 21-23

Helena – March 19, 2002 - - A panel of nationally recognized cultural tourism experts will lead a “Share Your Heritage” workshop at Missoula’s Holiday Inn Parkside, March 21-23. The two and a half day workshop is designed to assist Montanans from around the state in the development of “cultural tourism corridors” as a mechanism to improve local economies and expand community partnerships.

The Missoula Cultural Council (MCC) was one of two organizations chosen to host this national pilot workshop. MCC was selected by an 18-member national “Partners in Tourism” coalition comprised of federal agencies and organizations spanning the fields of arts, humanities, historical preservation and tourism interests.  New York State’s Hudson Valley was the other recipient. The Montana Department of Commerce’s Travel Montana, the Montana Arts Council, and the U.S. Forest Service are providing support for the workshop.

National “Partners in Tourism” presenters will open the conference on Thursday, March 21 at 1pm.  The public is invited to attend.  Following the opening remarks, nearly fifty Montanans will take part in the workshop sessions focused on developing  “cultural tourism corridors” in three specific Montana regions: the Bitterroot Valley, the Butte/Deer Lodge/Bozeman area, and the Great Falls/Fort Benton/Havre-Highway 87 corridor. Participants will devise workable cultural tourism corridor models that can serve other Montana communities.

A Travel Industry Association of American (TIA) report, Historic/Cultural Traveler found that those who love history and culture spend more money and time than average visitors. The study stated that this group of travelers spends an average of $631 per trip compared to $457 for all U.S. travelers, excluding transportation to the destination.

A “Share Your Heritage” results report session is scheduled at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Recreation, April 18-19, 2002 in West Yellowstone.

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***Editors: This release is available for downloading from Travel Montana’s Intranet Site: <travelmontana.state.mt.us> News & Updates Press Release Section***