Current Number of Ideas: 339

Topic: Tourism

Visitbillings.com could use some tweaking. It’s pretty at first, but becomes difficult to navigate after just a click. Every single thing available in Billings is lumped together in long lists and it’s tiresome searching for what you want. Visitors from neighboring states that drive in for weekender shopping trips are probably interested a different experience than folks from far away places who fly in for a Montana/western experience. If information was better organized, it could result in more booked room nights, better exposure for local vendors, and more revenue streaming into Montana. Try to book a weekend fly-fishing trip from the site (I had to give up). What about adding a SEARCH feature? A MAP view would be helpful for the hotels section - the drop down menu sorts hotels by general geographic area, but visitors still have no frame of reference by being served up just a list of properties. Add a “Relocating?” link that directs you to the chamber site. Would photos/buttons/iconography provide a better user experience? Finally, I’d save the “TBID Stakeholders” and “Feasibility Study” pages for another site.

Billings should provide free wifi at the airport, as does every other airport in Montana with scheduled commercial service. Airports are increasingly unpopular places to spend time, and our charging money for what others provide free tells people that, We don't want you here."

Align with Allegiant Air and local businesses to advertise flights TO Montana for getaways – and offer up package deals, and discounts/coupons. Market weekend ski trips and the magic of Montana snow to WARM weather places (like Phoenix, Vegas) during Oct-April. Allegiant LA-BIL flight should be more than just (summer) seasonal.

Support the effort to improve the ZOO so they can purchase a much needed improved parking lot and better signage.

Billings should have more bike trails that are separated from traffic. I love the trail on Shiloh.

Billings needs a large indoor sporting complex with tennis courts, basketball courts, and an ice sheet for ice skating and hockey.

Natural history museum like Cody and Bozeman have. Interstate signage is needed. Look AT&T Bozeman and butte. We have five museums and Montana avenue. No brown attraction signs. A three letter zoo sign. What a joke. clean up the east interstate right of way. It's ugly. Finally call the tifd coulson give it a separate identity

Any chance we could relocate the MT Women's Prison so it's not right next door to the Chamber Visitor Center, and on the main entrance to Downtown Billings from the interstate?

Airport: building on the other comments, I think the airport could use an interior overhaul too. It's a visitor's 1st impression - as well as their final! Local vendors at both baggage and the gates (coffee, restaurant, Made in Montana). A welcoming theme throughout, that speaks to Montana's Trailhead, would leave a favorable impression.

This is a fantastic idea and I am glad the Chamber has this site! I look at the city through the eyes of a tourist and a transplant. I travel all over the world for work and moved here 5 years ago. The airport's fake garden under fluorescent lights has got to go! This isn't the 70's anymore. It's the first thing people see when they arrive in Billings. Really, we can do better than fake plants. They aren't even one's that are native to Montana. It wouldn't take much money at all to replace with : 1. An artful display of local artists work 2. A large painted wall map of the city and surrounding areas (we are the gateway!) Or for a bit more $ 3. A fish tank similar to the one in Cabela's, showing off the native fish species that Montana is so famous for.