Tourism is increasingly becoming big business in Montana, with visitors to the state accounting for a more than $5 billion economic impact in 2015, according to the most recent data compiled by the University of Montana. With that in mind, a Cut Bank lawmaker is also working to broaden the Treasure State’s appeal to include the cultural and recreational opportunities on its reservations.

Sen. Lea Whitford, a Democrat, has introduced Senate Bill 309, which would direct some of the state’s bed-tax revenue toward tourism marketing focused on the eight Indian reservations within its borders.

During a hearing on the bill Thursday, Whitford told the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee that while some partnerships exist between Montana’s tribes and regional tourism organizations, reservations are still under-represented in the state’s marketing programs. She noted that the Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Recreation, held last year in Kalispell, included few references to visitor opportunities on nearby tribal lands.

“We were there to discuss tourism and how we can promote it and how we can support one another,” Whitford said. “We were really disheartened that none of our communities, such as East Glacier, St. Mary and Pablo, a number of these small communities that could have really benefited from having that boost of information out there to the public, were not mentioned.”

Her measure would add an “Indian Country” region to the state’s six established tourism regions, which include “Glacier Country,” “Missouri River Country,” and “Yellowstone Country.” The new region would receive 1.4 percent of the state’s bed-tax funds — roughly $300,000 — to promote tourism in Montana’s seven federally recognized tribal nations and the Littleshell Chippewa Tribe.

It would also add a tribal member from the private sector to the 12-member Montana Tourism Advisory Council. The council is responsible for advising to the Department of Commerce and governor’s office on promotional campaigns, as well as overseeing bed-tax funds awarded to tourism regions and convention and visitor bureaus throughout the state.

Whitford’s bill received support from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, as well as Mariah Gladstone, a member of the Blackfeet Tribe representing the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs.

“Despite plentiful resources, through both cultural and eco-tourism, private business owners in Indian country are still struggling for equitable promotion through the state,” Gladstone said.

The Montana Lodging and Hospitality Association, which represents many of the businesses that pay the state’s 4-percent bed tax, opposed the measure.

While he said his organization doesn’t oppose the inclusion of a private-sector tribal member on the state’s tourism board, Stuart Doggett told the committee he opposed decreasing the current share of bed-tax receipts currently allocated to the Department of Revenue.

“The current allocations work. We’re producing a record number of [tourism] jobs in the state,” Doggett said. He suggested the tribes could instead pursue business improvement districts to raise money from within each reservation’s private sector.

Whitford argued that the tribes have received little attention in the state’s current promotional materials, adding that the tourism department’s Yellowstone Country brochure failed to mention any opportunities for visitors to enjoy amenities on nearby reservations.

“It’s going to allow local people to solve local employment problems by building tourism in their areas,” Whitford said. “I’m just asking us to re-focus, to shift and to allow resources to help broaden our area that we’re serving and to promote our great state. And included in that is our Indian country.”

Following the hearing, the legislative panel voted 9-1 to recommend passage of Senate Bill 309. It will now head to the full House for a second reading today.

Reporter Sam Wilson can be reached at 758-4407 or swilson@dailyinterlake.com.