Commerce Awards Grant Funding to Implement Resiliency Plans for Montana Tourism Regions

October 23 2024

HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that $1.5 million of grant funding will be distributed to six regional nonprofit tourism corporations or “regions.” These funds can be used alongside other private or public dollars to begin implementing the priority items identified in the awardees’ regional resiliency plans. The grant funding is provided through Commerce’s Resiliency Plan Implementation Grant Program.

“Resiliency planning helps identify both predictable and unpredictable variables that could undermine Montana’s economic strength,” said Paul Green, Director of the Montana Department of Commerce. “These funds will be used to improve local economies by supporting destination development, growing engagement through collaboration and supporting workforce development.”

To be considered for this funding, eligible applicants demonstrated their alignment with the published state and regional resiliency plans, along with project implementation schedules, frameworks and deliverables.

The following regions will each receive $250,000 of Resiliency Plan Implementation Grant Program funding to be implemented by May 2026:

Central Montana Tourism
Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission
Missouri River Country Montana, Inc.
Southwest Montana
Visit Southeast Montana
Yellowstone Country Montana, Inc.

Through the American Rescue Plan, the United States Congress appropriated $750 million to the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Program to help state and local tourism sectors recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In August of 2021, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte designated Commerce as the recipient of Montana’s share of those funds through House Bill 4.

For more information about the Resiliency Plan Implementation Grant Program, visit commerce.mt.gov.

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