EXPLORE LIVINGSTON'S STRATEGIC PLAN FOR ECONOMIC RESILIENCE THROUGH COLLABORATION* Updated as of 01.22.2026 
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OUTLINE WITH INTEGRATED BEST PRACTICES

I. Executive Summary

• Overview of tourism’s role in Livingston’s economy, culture, and community identity.

• Strategic vision developed by the Explore Livingston Coalition: Livingston Destination Management Organization (DMO), the Livingston Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) and Downtown Livingston Business Improvement District (LBID)

• Key objectives: year-round economic resiliency, resident well-being, and long-term sustainability.

• Summary of plan priorities 

  • Economic Development: Slower season product development & marketing

  • Attainable Housing: Collaboration to address housing needs

  • Funding for Rivers, Roads & Rescue: Solutions for infrastructure demands and impacts

  • Informed & Responsible Practices: Education for tourists and new residents 

  • Visitor-Economy Resilience: Emergency response protocols and exploration of diversified funding mechanisms

 

II. Introduction

Why this plan now?

• Tourism is Park County’s largest economic driver. 

• Surging visitation, infrastructure and housing pressures, workforce volatility, and climate-related risks.

• Opportunity to shape tourism over the next decade+ to serve both residents and visitors.

Who is leading this plan?

Explore Livingston Coalition in collaboration with multiple regional stakeholders. 

• Livingston Destination Management Organization (DMO), the Livingston Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) and Downtown Livingston Business Improvement District (LBID) work together as the Explore Livingston Coalition, sharing resources and one executive director.

• Explore Livingston Coalition works together with the following entities on its projects and initiatives, listed in alphabetical order: Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, BRIDGE mobile crisis response team, City of Livingston, City of Livingston Parks & Recreation, City of Livingston Public Works, Livingston Depot, Elk River Arts and Lectures, Gardiner Chamber of Commerce, HRDC, Livingston Gallery Association, Livingston Depot Center, Livingston’s Historic Preservation Commission, Montana Department of Transportation, Montana Downtown Directors, Montana Freshwater Partners, Montana Main Street program, Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development, Montana Tourism Advisory Council, Montana Tourism Matters, Northern Rocky Mountain Economic Development District, Park County, Park County Community Foundation, Park County Environmental Council, Park County Housing Coalition, Park Local Development Corp., Prospera, The Shane Lalani Center, Small Business Revolution, Tourism Matters to Montana, Urban Renewal Agency, Upper Yellowstone Watershed Group, Voices of Montana Tourism, Wild Livelihoods Business Coalition, Yellowstone Country Tourism Region, Yellowstone Gateway Business Coalition, Yellowstone Gateway Museum, and Yellowstone Safe Passages, and numerous businesses, individuals, and organizations holding events and tournaments in Livingston. 

How was this plan developed?

• Grounded in a community-driven, stakeholder-informed approach, supported by rigorous data collection and integration of local and regional plans.

 

III. Guiding Values & Principles: Best Practices in Resilient Destination Planning

• Community-Led and Collaborative Planning

  • Built for and by local stakeholders and residents

  • Includes businesses, nonprofits, civic organizations

  • Strengthens cross-sector and cross-regional partnerships

• Data-Driven and Transparent

  • Informed by lodging tax, TBID data, road and air traffic, visitor and resident sentiments, and other available data

  • Publicly reported progress and transparent evaluation processes

• Holistic and Integrated

  • Considers the tourism-related challenges, impacts and opportunities facing the Livingston area including economic resiliency, housing, infrastructure, recreation and environment 

  • Reflects on existing plans including the Livingston Downtown Master Plan, 2024, Livingston Trails & Active Transportation Plan, April 2022, Livingston Parks Master Plan, 2025, Livingston Growth Policy, Final Report, 2021, 2022 Park County Housing Action Plan, and Yellowstone Country Regional Tourism Resilience Plan, July 2022-December 2023

• Future-Oriented and Adaptive

  • Anticipates growth, disasters, and economic shocks

  • Acknowledges the need for climate resilience and economic diversification

• Rooted in Place and Equity

  • Respects Livingston’s character and community values

  • Honors wilderness, wildlife, and waterways

  • Welcomes diverse populations to explore Livingston

  • Values arts and culture as a year-round tourism asset

  • Prioritizes resident quality of life 

 

Primary plans utilized include: Glacier Country Destination Stewardship Plan, ITRR 2023 Montana Residents’ Attitudes Towards Tourism, Jackson Hole Sustainable Destination Management Plan, Livingston Downtown Master Plan, 2024, Livingston Trails & Active Transportation Plan, April 2022, Livingston Growth Policy, Final Report, 2021, Montana Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), Montana’s Resilience Framework for Communities, Mountain Ideal Standard, Guiding Principles for Sustainable Destination Development, Park City & Summit County Utah Sustainable Tourism Plan, Summer 2022, Park County Community Foundation, We Will Reports, Whitefish Montana Sustainable Tourism Management Plan, Adopted 2020, Yellowstone Country Regional Tourism Resilience Plan, July 2022-December 2023, Yellowstone Country Situation Assessment, June 2023, Upper Yellowstone River Recreation Study, 2020-2024, and Upper Yellowstone River Monitoring, 2020, ITRR

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IV. State of Tourism in Livingston

Explore Livingston’s Existing Role / Approach

• What’s already being done by Explore Livingston

• Livingston’s dual role as a Yellowstone gateway + regional cultural / outdoors hub

• Visitation patterns (e.g., Yellowstone, road counts, BZN airport, lodging tax)

• TBID data, lodging tax data, cool season event funding

• Marketing data, results from existing marketing efforts

• Strengths: walkable downtown, excellence in arts, shopping, dining and events, river and trail access, public lands

 

Challenges / Priorities

Economic Development - Slower Season Product Development & Marketing

• Visitation patterns, crowding trends, lack of recreating responsibly

• Seasonality: busier in the summer, growing in the spring / fall, quietest in the winter

Attainable Housing - Collaboration to Address Housing Needs

• Park County Housing Coalition action items 

• City of Livingston Planned Unit Development (PUD) Ordinance

• Pending information on City of Livingston code updates, addressing short-term rental regulations

Funding for Rivers, Roads, Rescue - Solutions for Infrastructure Demands & Impacts

• Funding solutions needed to reduce tourism impacts 

• Opportunities to preserve and maintain integrity of natural assets

Informed & Responsible Practices - Education for Tourists and New Residents 

• Recreate responsibly - Explore Livingston Like A Local

• New resident handbook - Yellowstone Country

• Tourism benefits and informing locals on initiatives to address challenges

Visitor-Economy Resilience - Looking to the Future 

• Emergency response protocols

• Diversified funding mechanisms (grants, local option taxes, resilience funds)

 

V. Integration of Existing Plans and Data

• List of Sources

• Unified around five priority areas: 

  • Economic Development

  • Attainable Housing

  • Infrastructure Strain

  • Informed & Responsible Practices

  • Visitor-Economy Resilience

 

VI. Local Sentiments and Priorities

• Resident sentiment: rising concern about crowding, housing, traffic, increase in businesses catering to visitors (galleries, high-end western wear, gift shops, outfitters, wedding venues)

• Resident support for the economic value of tourism, tempered by calls for balance and stewardship

• Findings from public engagement: emphasis on protecting character, affordability, and quality of life

• Stakeholder themes: need for year-round viability, attainable housing, infrastructure upgrades, responsible visitor education 
   

VII. Vision Statement

A thriving Livingston where the visitor-based economy enhances local quality of life, supports resilient businesses year-round, and safeguards the natural amenities, historical landmarks, and cultural resources that define the region.

 

VIII. Goals, Priorities & Key Actions

Overall Goal: Champion Initiatives that Enhance Resident Quality of Life

 

Priority 1: Economic Development
Goal 1: Support Opportunities to Build Year-Round Economic Resiliency

Key Actions:

• Expand on the successful development of winter/shoulder-season events and itineraries

• Continue to highlight a diverse mix of visitor activities (cooler season, arts & culture, events, low-impact recreation) in response to weather unreliability impacting outdoor recreation 

• Continue to promote small local businesses
   

Priorities 2 & 3: Attainable Housing & Infrastructure Strain
Goal 2: Collaborate to Align Tourism and Economic Development

Key Actions:

• Support efforts to expand attainable workforce housing - e.g., implementation of community-supported tools from the 2022 Park County Housing Action Plan, the preservation and creation of housing that is affordable to our workforce, and efforts to explore the creation of a flexible, resilient source of funding to support this work

• Work with others to explore options to address infrastructure impacts

• Encourage sustainable business practices and investment
   

Priority 4: Informed & Responsible Practices
Goal 3: Encourage the Stewardship of Natural Amenities, Historical Landmarks, and Cultural Resources

Key Actions:

• Educate visitors and new residents on Leave No Trace, Recreate Responsibly, local etiquette, river use

• Collaborate with others supporting the area’s natural amenities, historical landmarks, and cultural resources that define the region

• Support partnerships addressing environmental impacts and best practices - e.g., Give Back to the Yellowstone Stewardship and Ambassador Program and its initiatives, the recommendations from the Upper Yellowstone River Recreation Use Study, and the Hunter-Landowner Stewardship Program
   

Priority 5: Visitor-Economy Resilience
Goal 4: Strengthen Resilience to Future Shocks

Key Actions:

• Highlight disaster preparedness and outline emergency response protocols

• Explore diversified funding mechanisms (grants, local option taxes, resilience funds)

• Monitor, measure, and adjust strategies over time
   

IX. Priorities & Collaborations

Overall Approach: Collaborate with Others to Enhance Resident Quality of Life

Key Collaborations**

• Economic Development - Champion slower season product development & marketing

• Attainable Housing - Collaborate to address housing needs

• Funding for Rivers, Roads & Rescue - Support solutions that address infrastructure demands

• Informed & Responsible Practices - Develop and support initiatives to educate tourists (Explore Livingston Like A Local) and new residents (new resident handbook, tourism benefits and informing locals on initiatives to address challenges, Give Back to the Yellowstone, Hunter-Landowner Stewardship Program) including recommendations outlined by the Upper Yellowstone Watershed Group

• Visitor-Economy Resilience - Highlight disaster preparedness and outline emergency response protocols; explore diversified funding mechanisms

 

Economic Development Collaborators

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, Gallatin College, Leadership 49, Livingston Downtown Business Improvement District (LBID), Livingston Hotel Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID), Livingston Wellness Center (opening Spring 2027), Main Street Montana, Montana Department of Commerce, Northern Rocky Economic Development District, Park Local Development Corporation, Prospera, Yellowstone Country Tourism Region, Yellowstone Gateway Business Coalition

 

Attainable Housing Collaborators

Attainable housing funding initiatives, City of Livingston, Montana state legislators, Park County, Park County Housing Coalition, regional businesses, regional housing developers

 

Funding for Rivers, Roads & Rescue Collaborators

City of Livingston, Montana Department of Transportation, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Montana Freshwater Partners, Montana state legislators, Park County, Park County Environmental Council, Park County Search & Rescue, Tourism businesses, Upper Yellowstone Watershed Group, Wild Livelihoods, Yellowstone Gateway Business Coalition

 

Informed & Responsible Practices Collaborators

ITRR, Montana Freshwater Partners, Montana Department of Commerce, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Park County Community Foundation, Upper Yellowstone Watershed Group, Wild Livelihoods, Yellowstone Country Tourism Region, Yellowstone Forever, Yellowstone Gateway Business Coalition, Yellowstone National Park

Visitor-Economy Resilience Collaborators
BNSF, Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, City of Livingston, Livingston Fire & Rescue, Livingston Food Resource Center, Livingston HealthCare, Livingston Police Department, Mission Field, Montana Department of Commerce, Montana state legislators, Northern Rocky Economic Development District, Park County, Park County Community Foundation, Park County Environmental Council, Park County Health Department, Park County Search & Rescue, Park County Sheriff’s Office, United Way, Yellowstone Country Tourism Regio
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X. Implementation Timeline

Overall Goal: Champion Initiatives that Enhance Resident Quality of Life
Overall Approach: Collaborate with Others to Enhance Resident Quality of Life

Overall Implementation Timeline: Review and assess annually  

 

XI. Metrics and Evaluation Framework

• Economic Development

  • Lodging tax trends (November - April)

  • TBID Hotel Visitation

  • Additional data sources - i.e., Placer.Ai, Zardico, etc. 

• Attainable Housing 

  • Availability, short-term rental data from the Park County Housing Coalition

  • Number of housing and infrastructure initiatives supported

  • Additional data sources to be determined

• Funding for Rivers, Roads & Rescue

  • Development of to-be-determined initiatives

• Informed & Responsible Practices

  • Explore Livingston Tourism Survey 2022 and future survey(s)

  • Park County - We Will Park County Community Annual Survey

  • Wild Livelihoods Business Survey

  • ITRR insights and data

• Visitor-Economy Resilience

  • Sharing updated disaster preparedness and emergency response protocols

  • Number of diversified funding mechanisms explored with collaborators

 

For additional information and a list of sources used to develop this plan, click here. 

 

*This plan and its implementation are brought to you by local tourism dollars.

**Organizations noted in italics are primary collaborators.