1% for Whitefish: A vibrant and healthy community for all

Recently a few community members have continued to create confusion around Explore Whitefish and our business membership. We wish to clarify some points.

Established by the City of Whitefish in 2006, Explore Whitefish is the officially designated organization charged with destination tourism management and stewardship of Whitefish, also known as the Whitefish Convention and Visitors Bureau. We provide critical support for visitor information services, travel infrastructure development, market research, community resources, visitor education, communications and community relations.

We also support affordable housing efforts and a community grant program that strives to make our town stronger. We create our strategies based on the key pillars of the Whitefish Sustainable Tourism Management Plan of “community character, livability, and community engagement.”

Our extensive partnerships include organizations like Protect Our Winters, Whitefish Legacy Partners, Leave No Trace, Pledge for the Wild, Glacier Country Tourism, Glacier National Park, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, Flathead National Forest, Whitefish Mountain Resort and other groups that support and promote responsible recreation, conservation and education.

We receive a small portion of the 4% Montana Bed Tax. This is the “public” portion of our budget, which our City Council approves. Our council does not control or oversee the private portion of our budget generated from member businesses, so calls to “end the 1%” to our city leaders are misguided. This is not a political fight.

While our volunteer city-appointed board and our staff give so much to this community, we are not a 501(c)(3) charity organization. Explore Whitefish is a nonprofit business organization classified as a 501(c)(6), which is an association, like a chamber of commerce, that promotes common economic interests.

Approximately 145 member businesses pay a membership fee that varies, depending on the type of business. A 1% fee is added to lodging, food and transportation receipts for about 55 business members. The 1% fee is a voluntary contribution to support our programs that balance economic and community sustainability in Whitefish while maintaining the integrity of our town and the quality of life for our residents.

The 1% fee used to be called the “Tourism Promotion Assessment” (TPA), but as we have shifted our mission and vision toward destination stewardship and sustainable tourism management, we recently renamed the 1% fee the “Community Sustainability Fund” (CSF) to better reflect our mission.

While a majority of residents and visitors support our vision, guests may ask to have the CSF removed if they wish. If for some reason the charge cannot be removed, Explore Whitefish will reimburse the guest for the charge. (For example, 15 cents on a $15 cheeseburger.)

Many communities in Montana have implemented Business Improvement Districts, which place a mandatory tax for the same purpose. The WCVB decided to make the 1% voluntary, giving local businesses the choice to participate by requesting their guests contribute.

Over the last several years, Explore Whitefish has shifted from tourism marketing to tourism management. Our mission is to foster sustainable tourism to protect and preserve a viable year-round community. We selectively target and engage with potential visitors who share our community values and we attempt to direct them to visit here during the slower times of the year — away from the peak summer season that we have not promoted in over a decade.

Our “shoulder seasons” are lovely, quieter times for our residents and don’t offer as many highlights for visitors such as a ski day or a drive on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. But there is room for more conscientious visitors to experience a slow night downtown in the spring or fall, enjoy a live band after eating sushi, attend a theater production, or take a walk on the Whitefish Trail. We invite these visitors for a chance to “slow down” — as our “Friend of the Fish” initiative has encouraged travelers to do when they are here.

Explore Whitefish also tells the story of our town, protects our brand and stands up for who we are as a welcoming and inclusive community. When our neighbors were threatened by extremists? We stood up. When wildfires struck close by — we communicated the situation. When “Good Morning America” wanted to promote summer visits in July? We told them “no”. A pandemic? We helped protect the health of our fragile community.

Ending tourism management is not the answer, as some in our community have suggested. That is a black-and-white way of looking at a complex issue. We have a vibrant downtown, cool shops, beautiful lodges and delicious restaurants, in large part because of our visitors. They travel here and support our local establishments and are happy to contribute 1% to the health of our town. Most of our residents also take pride in helping contribute one cent on the dollar to a vibrant and healthy community. And they enjoy the benefits.

You can learn more about how we are helping our community stay strong by visiting explorewhitefish.com/about-explore-whitefish.

Julie Mullins is the Executive Director of Explore Whitefish (WCVB).

The WCVB Board of Directors includes: Mariah Joos (Chair) - Nelson’s Hardware, Jessie Farnes (Vice Chair) - Montana Coffee Traders, Rhonda Fitzgerald (Secretary/Treasurer) - The Garden Wall Inn, Edna White - Averill Hospitality, Matt Gebo - Whitefish Mountain Resort, Lauren Oscilowski - Spotted Bear Spirits, Kimberly Wortman - SNOW Bus/Big Mountain Commercial Association, Erica Terrell - Glacier Restaurant Group, and Maggie Schwenker - Montana Coffee Traders.