Advisory board declines to match Contour Airlines’ $25,000 marketing contribution, offers advisory support instead

The advisory board considered a request from the airport and Contour Airlines to match a $25,000 airline-provided marketing contribution and voted to decline matching funds while offering to advise Contour and airport staff on campaign strategy.

Airport staff and the board described a standard annual arrangement in which Contour provides $25,000 toward marketing its route; the airport asked if the advisory board would match to amplify the flight marketing. Several board members said they support telling visitors they can fly to Moab but questioned whether matching would establish a precedent for promoting a single airline and whether the county should be subsidizing marketing for a single private carrier.

Sharon (board member) moved that the board not provide matching funds but that staff and the tourism office provide advisory support to Contour and the airport to help optimize the $25,000 spend. The motion was seconded and carried.

Why it matters: The question touches on how public tourism dollars should be used—whether to co-fund airline marketing or restrict public funds to neutral promotion of the destination. The board’s decision preserves fiscal restraint while making staff expertise available to the airport and carrier.

Next steps: Staff will provide advisory assistance to Contour/airport on creative and placement without committing MTAB funds as a match; the airport and Contour will proceed with their $25,000 plan and staff will monitor outcomes.

Speakers quoted: Howard Trentholm (airport liaison); Sharon Kinsley (board member).

Topics: air service marketing; allocation of public tourism funds.