Contact: Victor
Bjornberg
Montana Department of Commerce
406-841-2795
Crow Reservation,
Great Falls and Wibaux Selected For Montana’s 2003/2004 Community Tourism
Assessment Program
Helena,
MT – August 20, 2003 – The communities of Great Falls, Wibaux and the Crow
Reservation 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).
“Over the last decade, 29
communities around the state have used this program to better understand the
role tourism plays in the economic vitality of their area,” said Mark Simonich,
Director, Montana Commerce Department. “Wibaux, Great Falls and the Crow
Reservation now have the opportunity to develop plans and projects that can
help local businesses and create new jobs.”
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.
The local CTAP coordinators
in each community are:
Crow Reservation: Latonna Old Elk, Tribal Extension Agent,
Little Bighorn College,
Box 370, Crow Agency, MT 59022, 406-638-3139,
latonna@main.lbhc.cc.mt.us
Great
Falls: Janet Medina,
Vice-President – Communications, Great Falls Area
Chamber of Commerce, 710 1st Avenue North,
Great Falls, MT
59401, 406-761-4434, JMedina@greatfallschamber.org
Wibaux: David Bertelsen, Wibaux
County Extension Agent, Box 345,
Wibaux,
MT 59353-0345, 406-796-2486, ACXDB@montana.edu
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