Tribal Tourism | Montana Department of Commerce

Department Of Commerce

TRIBAL TOURISM MONTANA

Going on vacation to Montana? Access the official VisitMT website.

TRIBAL TOURISM GOALS 2024-2026

Expand Montana’s tribal tourism industry into measurable economic benefits for tribal nations through:

Identifying assets and resources
Investment and partnership opportunities
Targeted sponsorships and grants
Promotion of experiences, events, locations and businesses

Elevate brand recognition through:

Publications
Marketing
Content creation and advertising

The Production Assistant Training Scholarship Program

“Attending the PA program was a hands-on and eye-opening experience for me. I felt like I was in the movie business. A dream come true having grown up in Rocky Boy on a small cattle ranch, where opportunity was not always there if you had big dreams. This is a great opportunity to get started in the television or movie industry,” said Leslie Belcourt, enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree tribe and recent PA scholarship recipient.

Round three is now open for the Production Assistant Training Scholarship Program, exclusively for enrolled tribal citizens of a Montana tribe, aged 16 and older. In partnership with AccelerateMT, the Office of Indian Country Economic Development Tribal Tourism Program is awarding a total of 80 scholarships. The producation assistant training course is offered on-line or in-person, with in-person curriculum taught over two days. There is no cost to awardees; the $500 tuition is prepaid by the OICED Tribal Tourism Program.

Awardees can select an in-person two-day training or an online course. Becoming a certified PA is a first step into the TV, film, commercial, media, concert, live theater, fashion and event industries.

Information

This website is a resource for the development and promotion of the Indian Tourism Region in Montana, established by Senate Bill 309 of the 65th Montana Legislature in 2017.

The Indian Tourism Region includes all reservations in Montana as well as other locations significant to tribes with a modern or historical connection to Montana.

TRIBAL TOURISM FUNDING

Senate Bill 309 allocates 0.5% of Montana’s Lodging Facility Use Tax collections to develop and promote the Indian Tourism Region. Promotions include paid media such as advertising, earned media such as hosting journalists and photographers to visit Indian Country and produce editorial content, and owned media such as visitmt.com.

Additionally, the Montana Department of Commerce funds a full-time Tribal Tourism Officer and various programs for which tribal governments and tribal tourism may be eligible to apply.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TOURISM

Tourism is one of Montana’s leading industries. According to estimates by the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana, 12.5 million visitors added over $5 billion to the state’s economy in 2021. The impact isn’t only limited to hotels and car rentals — it includes businesses of all kinds, such as artisan entrepreneurs featured at Made in Montana, Grown in Montana and Native American Made in Montana.

According to research commissioned by Commerce in 2019, 82% of leisure travelers expressed an interest in exploring sites and experiences related to Indigenous culture and history.

Grant

TRIBAL TOURISM GRANT

Thank you for your interest in the Tribal Tourism Grant. The fiscal year 2025 application cycle is open Oct. 1 through Nov. 30, 2024. Please check the Office of Indian Country Economic Development website for other funding opportunities. This year’s grant cycle budget is approximately $120,000, with a maximum award amount of $50,000 to tribal governments of Montana for eligible tourism projects, and a 50% matching requirement.

FINANCIAL & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

The Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Recreation is the premier annual event for Montana’s tourism and recreation industry. Please note there is a fee to attend.
Native American Made in Montana is for producers of products for sale. Native American Made in Montana is a free program in which members receive the ability to use a branded label and a website listing. Members may be eligible to apply for a sponsorship to exhibit at the annual Made in Montana Tradeshow for food and gifts.
Tribal Tourism Grant programs are available to tribal governments. These reimbursement grant programs help tourism-related projects such as arts, culture and heritage preservation, visitor facility upgrades and construction, and niche product development.
The Tribal Tourism Small Business Grant assists startups or expanding Native American owned tourism businesses in Montana. A total of $240,000 in funding is available for fiscal year 2025. Approximately 24 awards will be granted, three per tribal nation.

Fiscal Year 2025 TTG GuidelinesAPPLY FOR TRIBAL TOURISM GRANT

OKTA INSTRUCTIONS

CONSUMER MARKETING

Indian Country Guidebook: Developed by the Office of Indian Country Economic Development, Business MT at the Montana Department of Commerce in partnership with Brand MT, and in association with the tribes in Montana. Limited quantities of hard copies have been distributed across the state, while a digital download is available at visitmt.com.
Indian Country at visitmt.com: The state’s official travel website receives nearly 4 million visits per year.
- Receive instructions to claim your visitmt.com business listing.

RESEARCH

"Interest in Native American Tourism Assets” (Destination Analysts) – Available to Montana tourism organizations by request
“Montana Destination Brand Research Study” (Destination Analysts) – Available to Montana tourism organizations by request
Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research
- Report: “Indian Country Cultural and Heritage Tourism”

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

“Linking Communities, Tourism & Conservation: A Tourism Assessment Process” (George Washington University)
"National Guidelines: Indigenous Cultural Experiences" (Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada)
“Resources for the Recreation Economy” and Q & A from the webinar (American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association)

Partners

In addition to the Indian Tourism Region, Montana is organized into six geographic tourism regions, each of which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting its area — including Indian Country. By working together, tribal communities and tourism regions may maximize their impact.

The following tourism regions include reservations:

Forms

The OICED Tribal Tourism Grant Programs are exclusively for the Tribal Governments in Montana. For those Tribal Council staff authorized to submit requests for reimbursement of eligible grant project expenses, please complete all three forms below, including all receipts and invoice, and email them to doctribal@mt.gov or rachelle.brown@mt.gov. Please call 406-841-2734 if you have any questions.

Note: Incomplete forms, missing receipts, or expenses incurred outside the scope of the contractual terms of the grant award will either be denied, not processed or will delay the reimbursement of funds.