Town hall to discuss visitation and livability
Whitefish Pilot | Whitefish Pilot | UPDATED 1 year, 3 months AGO
The Whitefish Sustainable Tourism Management Plan (STMP) committee invites the community to a town hall on visitation and community livability on Thursday, May 22, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Whitefish City Hall.
The Sustainable Tourism Management Plan aims to ensure that visitation is managed in ways that balance economic vitality with community well-being.
The meeting aims to review the most recent resident survey, learn from knowledgeable panel members, and get feedback from community members.
Explore Whitefish Executive Director Zak Anderson will present a tourism overview, and STMP Chair Matt Gebo will discuss the most recent resident survey results.
Of particular note is a significant shift in attitude toward visitation. Survey respondents were asked to rank the statement: "The overall benefits of tourism in Whitefish outweigh the negative impacts.,” and 52% agreed, 24% were neutral, and 24% disagreed. In the 2023 survey, 30% agreed, 23% were neutral, and 47% disagreed.
“After the pandemic, our community had a lot of resentment towards increased visitation,” Gebo said. “It appears we are coming back from that spike into more balance between the positive economic impacts good visitors bring and the importance of our town’s local character and livability.”
Forty-three percent of all jobs in Whitefish are at least partially reliant on visitor spending. Because of the intersection between the visitor and local economies, Whitefish is uniquely positioned as a small town. Most restaurants and shops are viable because of visitor spending but also rely on consistent local support.
A local business panel, including Marissa Keenan, owner of Sweet Peaks, Jared Zuege, manager of the Whitefish Liquor Store, Blackstar Brewpub, and Markus Community Market, Michelle Howke, City of Whitefish administrative services director and city clerk, and Katie Williams, Housing Whitefish board of directors, will discuss a variety of topics related to the visitor and local economy.