As the summer travel season heats up and Montana is trending towards increased levels of visitors, the Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development (MOTBD) has joined the ‘Recreate Responsibly’ movement, which provides guidelines to help travelers foster resident and visitor safety and the sustainability of tourism products.
‘Recreate Responsibly’ encourages everyone to have a holistic outdoor experience by following all aspects of responsible recreation: keeping yourself, others, and outdoor places safe; accessing outdoor benefits essential to the human experience; and building an outdoors for all through justice, diversity, and inclusion. The partnership encourages Montana’s tourism partners and local businesses to use flyers, posters, table tents, social media messages, radio PSAs and business websites to promote the safety of outdoor recreationists in the state of Montana while promoting the sustainability of its tourism industry.
“As the weather warms up and we start traveling and going outside to be active and healthy, we’re encouraging everyone in Montana to help protect our remarkably beautiful assets by limiting their impact on nature and people,” said Jan Stoddard of the Montana Office of Tourism. “Whether you’re an avid outdoor enthusiast or you’re heading to your local park for the first time, we can all use a little reminder about how to be safe. By echoing the messages of the ‘Recreate Responsibly’ campaign, we hope to reach even more travelers and protect our communities.”
The ‘Recreate Responsibly’ guidelines include:
1. Know Before You Go: Check the status of the place you want to visit. If it is closed, don’t go. If it’s crowded, have a backup plan.
2. Practice Physical Distancing: Keep your group size small. Be prepared to cover your nose and mouth and give others space. If you are sick, stay home.
3. Plan Ahead: Prepare for facilities to be closed, pack lunch, and bring essentials like hand sanitizer and a face covering. Check local regulations regarding the need for a face covering.
4. Play it Safe: Slow down and choose lower-risk activities to reduce your risk of injury. Search and rescue operations and health care resources are both strained.
5. Explore Locally: Limit long-distance travel and make use of local parks, trails, and public spaces. Be mindful of your impact on the communities you visit.
6. Leave No Trace: Respect public lands and waters, as well as Native and local communities. Take all garbage with you.
7. Build an Inclusive Outdoors: Be an active part of making the outdoors safe and welcoming for all identities and abilities.
The Recreate Responsibly Coalition is an active coalition of more than 1,000 businesses, agencies, nonprofits, and influential voices who are working together to help everyone experience the benefits of nature. Born out of a desire to see people enjoy the outdoors safely at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Recreate Responsibly’s diverse community has grown into a collaborative hub to share common sense guidance about getting outside responsibly during this public health crisis and beyond. Visit https://www.recreateresponsibly.org/ or southeastmontana.com/recreate-responsibly for more information.
For more information, contact Brenda Maas, Director of Marketing for Visit Southeast Montana.
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