This Destination Strategy is a roadmap for reaching Big Sky's 15-Year Vision for the future of tourism. It will guide community leaders as they work toward a future that prioritizes investments in community livability while thoughtfully evolving the visitor experience.
Visit Big Sky and the Destination Stewardship Collaborative recognize that the sustainability of Big Sky’s visitor economy depends on successfully balancing this sector with meaningful stewardship of our community and surrounding environments. We are committed to working together so Big Sky can continue to be a great place to live, work, and play.
Big Sky is experiencing pressures on par with other sought-after destinations in the West. Visitation patterns concentrated in the winter and summer seasons, combined with a sharp visitation growth curve during the pandemic, have underscored several complex issues including congestion during peak seasons, shortages of a well-trained workforce, strain on the local ecological systems, and a lack of affordable housing options for locals. With this in mind, the first stage of the destination strategy focuses on the following impact areas:
Develop a robust tourism ecosystem through targeted leadership and meaningful connection
Care for our people and places
Improve the Big Sky experience for visitors and residents alike
This work is led by Big Sky’s Destination Stewardship Collaborative, a diverse group of community leaders representing different sectors that are tied to the visitor experience. The Stewardship Collaborative also houses several rotating action or project teams, which emerge and evolve along with the most pressing needs of the community. Current action teams include:
Active Transportation Plan | Convener: Lone Mountain Land Company
Upleveling Sustainable Business Practices for the Tourism Industry | Convener: Big Sky SNO
Arts, Culture and Heritage | Convener: Arts Council of Big Sky
Destination Marketing | Convener: Visit Big Sky
We all have a role to play in bringing this strategy to life.
We invite you to learn more and get involved!
Project Contact: Brad Niva, CEO, Visit Big Sky, brad@bigskychamber.com
About the Project
In 2023, Visit Big Sky reached out to Crosscurrent Collective to develop a roadmap for the future of tourism in their community. Crosscurrent Collective, in concert with Visit Big Sky convened a diverse group of leaders and advisors to chart the course of Big Sky’s development over the next 15 years. The goal— to ensure community livability is central to Big Sky’s evolution as a top U.S. outdoor recreation destination. Together, community leaders underwent an incredible lift to better understand the sentiments of residents, visitors and tourism economy stakeholders alike. With this foundation of knowledge, they hosted a series of community workshops to set forth a vision for the future and identify short- and medium-term opportunities, and ultimately produce this destination strategy.
