No downside marketing Polson for tourism
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Editor,
In response to Margie Hendricks’s letter of May 6, I have been involved in successfully marketing three small communities in the past and Polson is perfectly positioned to become a tourist destination based on what is here already.
The lake, golf course, restaurants, casino, downtown, motels, outdoors, museums, cultures and Highway 93 make this an easy sell to urban middle- and upper-class families who want to enjoy a quaint weekend in a unique setting.
I do not know the MCA cited, but I do know that the final challenge in making Polson a resort destination is a focused branding and marketing campaign.
But to do that, we need some cohesion and a few bucks. Other small cities have been very successful using “heads-in-beds” and “fuel” taxes and grants. While some of those tax dollars should be used to improve city streets and services, many cities use some of it to kickoff a marketing campaign and/or as leverage to win grants.
Our governor is pushing the tourism issues because he knows that when people from another state leave it here, there is almost no downside.
Recent numbers suggest that tourists spent $4 billion in Montana last year. Lake County only received .8 percent of that money.
As for public input, Envision Polson spent lots of money and time to gather a wealth of public demographics and ideas and that research is a powerful tool. I believe city officials will make sure residents have input through the recently formed committee. And whether the so-called resort tax is passed or defeated, we still have a real need to market Polson outside the area.
Polson’s economy is already strong and could be much stronger. More jobs, better roads, more businesses and services: I don’t see much downside.
My suggestion is, don’t reinvent the wheel. Many cities and historic downtowns are reaping the rewards.
I would love to plan a trip to visit some of these nearby cities on a driving tour.
Anyone up for a caravan?
Vince Lovato
Polson
