Area businesses see a robust summer season

Despite a slow start, area business owners and managers say the summer of 2014 has been downright robust.

“It’s really come on strong in July after being soft in June,” said Ron Cadrette, vice president and general manager of Glacier Park Inc., which owns hotels, motels and retail establishments in Whitefish, West Glacier, Apgar, East Glacier and St. Mary.

The soft June was caused by the late opening of Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road, Cadrette noted. The alpine highway typically opens around mid-June. This year, because of heavy June snows, the road didn’t open until July 2.

“We saw a tremendous increase in visitation” when the road fully opened, Cadrette noted.

After the soggy June, people flocked to Glacier Park, with nearly 700,000 visitors in July — that appears to be a new record. People are also spending more money than in years past.

“There appears to be a return in consumer confidence,” Cadrette said.

Denny Gignoux, a co-owner of Montana Raft Co. and Glacier Wilderness Guides, also said it’s been a good summer, better than last year, and last year was strong.

“It looks like it’s going to be a little bit better than last year,” he said last week.

But there’s also been some odd visitation patterns. Some days have been slow, other days a flurry of customers.

“Sometimes not with reason,” he noted.

The company offers a host of services — guided hiking trips in Glacier, and rafting and fishing excursions. The company also owns Glacier Guides Lodge in West Glacier, which has received stellar reviews since it opened three years ago.

Gignoux said day-rafting trips were down a little bit, but overnight raft trips were up, and guided hikes in Glacier Park have been very strong.

July had a few days of cool weather, but not much rain, and August has been hot and dry.

The continuing challenge, Gignoux noted, is getting visitors to realize that just because the Sun Road is not completely open in spring and early summer, the Park is still open and there are plenty of things to do.

The hard numbers are backing up the anecdotal evidence of a strong summer. Resort tax revenue in Whitefish this June was up 2.36 percent over last June, according to Dylan Boyle, executive director of Whitefish Visitor and Convention Bureau, which tracks the figures.

Year-to-date sales tax collections are up 5.12 percent, or about $102,000. Through June, collections were $2.099 million. The city charges a 2 percent tax on most retail purchases and sales at bars, restaurants and lodging.

Tracking the tax is a good way to gauge the health of the tourist economy. July figures weren’t yet available, Boyle said, but the word from Whitefish business owners was that the summer was a good one.

“They say they’re having a great summer,” he said.