Funds Boost Tourism

BILLINGS A big boost in funding means local businesses can pull out all the stops to boost tourism.
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It's all thanks to the Tourism Business Improvement District created in 2007. The one dollar fee per hotel night stay in Billings has increased the Chamber of Commerce's budget from 300,000 dollars in 2007 to nearly one million dollars this year.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau is running more advertisements in newspapers, magazines, and websites than ever. So far, Billings leads other Montana cities in marketing funds.

"We were the first to enact a Tourism Business Improvement District or a TBID," said CVB Director Joan Kronebusch, "Many other communities are slowly coming on. There are seven other communities in the state that either have a TBID in place or are just getting going, but we are well ahead of the curve.