Department Of Commerce

The Pilot Community Tourism Grant Program is a state-funded opportunity authorized by the 2023 Montana Legislature’s enactment of Senate Bill 540. Building tourism in a manageable, sustainable way can stimulate and diversify Montana’s local economy, protect and enhance local resources, and foster community pride without compromising the qualities that make local communities so special.

The purpose of the PCTGP is to elevate communities across the state, increase their economic vibrancy by improving their appeal as visitor destinations, and improve their resilience as a destination by enhancing and diversifying tourism assets and infrastructure. Through this program, communities can cultivate regional visions, identify strategies to harness the power of tourism, and develop unique experiences in tourism.

The PCTGP second round funding cycle will open on Friday, Nov. 1, and close on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.

APPLY HERE

pctgp webinars:

  • View the recording for the Introduction to the Pilot Community Tourism Grant Program: Everything You Need to Know to Submit an Application Webinar

on-demand recording link

  • Join Commerce staff for the Pilot Community Tourism Grant Program: Let's Talk Tourism Success Webinar on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, at 12 p.m.

ON-DEMAND RECORDING LINK


Resources for Applicants:

  • Refer to the Pilot Community Tourism Grant Program Guidelines to learn about the Pilot Program.
  • Refer to the PCTGP Application to review application questions. Please note, this is for reference only. The application must be completed and submitted in the Montana Grants and Loans Portal. 
  • The PCTGP S.M.A.R.T. Goals Form is required to be uploaded in the application for consideration of funding.
  • The PCTGP Budget is required to be uploaded in the application for consideration of funding.
  • The PCTGP Steering Committee Members Form is required to be uploaded in the application for consideration of funding. 
  • Refer to the PCTGP Application Scoring Criteria to review Destination MT's application scoring criteria.  
  • Refer to the PCTGP Grant Awards Schedule for potential funding allocations and phases for tourism ready communities.
  • Refer to the Montana Tourism Regions Map for a quick look at the seven tourism regions.
  • Refer to the PCTGP Flow Chart for a quick understanding of tourism readiness indicators for a community. Also see the PCTGP FAQs to find quick answers to questions about the funding.
  • Refer to the Montana Grants and Loans Step-by-Step instructions to create a Grants and Loans Portal account for access to the online application. For technical issues creating an account please call the IT Help Desk at 406-444-2000 .

Eligibility of an entity to apply for funding is established by Section III of the Pilot Community Tourism Grant Guidelines. Click the button below for an interactive display of Montana's urban areas and over-visited places.

Montana's Urban & Over-Visited Places

PCTGP-Layered-Map.JPG

Additional Resources for Applicants:

  • The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Rural Economic Development Toolkit an online toolkit to provide strategies for success to achieve intersecting goals of healthy communities, high quality of life, robust businesses, resilient economies, and vibrant outdoor places.
  • The Tourism Assessment Process [pdf] is a workbook designed to link communities, tourism, and conservation with tools that are research-based which reflect principles of sustainable and ecotourism development.
  • The Way Forward [pdf] is a provincial tourism product development plan to reach a people and program-based collective tourism vision to increase tourism visitation and spending.
  • The UN World Tourism Organization [pdf] is a handbook on tourism product development including model approaches for various and unique destinations.
  • The Destination Development Channel provides how-to videos on destination marketing and development topics including case studies and new ideas to supercharge tourism efforts.
  • Using the Main Street America Approach to downtown revitalization, the Montana Main Street Program offers technical assistance to communities striving for economic vitality while maintaining local historic integrity, quality of life, and a sense of place.

A Montana Community or group of Communities within a destination that has prioritized tourism as an economic development strategy and are interested in working collaboratively can apply for PCTGP funds. Through this process, Tourism Grant Program staff will assist local leaders with building resilient regional networks and leadership skills to manage tourism development. Interested applicants must be willing to make a significant and long-term commitment to leadership and participation in tourism and economic development over the course of 60 months.