By Carli Johnson SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
The Montana Lodging and Hospitality Association awarded Big Sky’s very own Brad Niva with the Tourism Friend of the Year award at their annual conference in October. Nearing his five-year mark as CEO of the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce and Visit Big Sky, Niva reflected on his accomplishments thus far in an interview with EBS.
Since taking the helm in 2020, Niva has worked to strengthen Big Sky’s tourism economy through collaboration, infrastructure improvements and data-driven planning. One of his most notable projects has been the development of public bathrooms in Town Center.
“When I first arrived, I asked two questions: what data do we have on our visitors and where are the public bathrooms?” Niva said in an interview with EBS. “At the time, the answer was we don’t have either of those. The data came along quickly, but it took us three-and-a-half years to build the public bathrooms.”
The project was funded through a Resort Tax grant and supported by a land donation and additional financial contribution from Lone Mountain Land Company. Niva joked that while his success is largely a result of the bathrooms, he sees the project as a reflection of what hospitality means.
“When you think about the tourism business, you think about hospitality, welcoming people to town,” he said. “As a community based on tourism, you need to be welcoming and at the same time you need to provide services that serve the needs of visitors.”
He has also worked to develop destination stewardship, ensuring that Visit Big Sky considers the impact of tourism on local residents and plans thoughtfully to reflect their needs, as well.
Reflecting on his time in Big Sky, Niva said the greatest surprise has been the people who drive the community. He beams with appreciation to be part of a group of people who tirelessly work towards the betterment of their community, giving shoutouts to David O’Connor of the Big Sky Community Housing Trust, Sarah Gaither of the Big Sky Community Food Bank and Danny Bierschwale of the Big Sky Resort Area District.
Beyond Big Sky, Niva is an advocate for Montana’s broader tourism industry. As a board member of the Montana Travel Association, he hopes to elevate tourism’s role in the state’s economic development.
“I just find it frustrating that tourism is left out of these conversations,” he said, referencing legislative presentations on economic development in the state. “Tourism is already here, we just have to water it, and it will continue to grow.”
Niva sees Big Sky as an exemplary blueprint of what the tourism industry can look like across Montana. With Big Sky recently ranked the No. 1 ski destination for 2026 by Expedia and the No. 2 ski resort in the West by Condé Nast Traveler, he credits the area’s strong resort tax performance—3% collections have nearly doubled since 2021—to the steady influx of visitors each year.
As he looks to the future, Niva remains focused on community collaboration and maintaining a balance between visitor needs and community priorities. “When tourism is managed responsibly it creates jobs, supports businesses and can strengthen communities,” he said.
