'Bachelor' could spur a big tourism payoff

An estimated 10 million viewers will get a good look at Whitefish this winter when the reality TV show “The Bachelor” returns to ABC for its eighth season.

In what was likely the worst kept secret in town for the past week, producers of “The Bachelor” decided to use Whitefish as the backdrop for an upcoming episode. While those in the know were legally barred from talking about the show by name, the secret was leaked and confirmed on a gossip blog by Tuesday evening.

Production crews came early in the month to film “B-roll” footage, while Oct. 10 was the big event with a one-hour downtown concert performed by Nashville-based country music singer Sarah Darling. Other scenes were shot at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake, at Casey’s Bar and during a helicopter flight over Glacier Park.

More than 100 crew members were in town and 25 locals were hired to assist with the taping.

The episode will premiere sometime in February 2013. The Montana Office of Tourism in partnership with the Whitefish Convention and Visitor Bureau helped bring the show to town, investing as much as $250,000 in the effort. The WCVB alone spent $30,000.

The groups hope Whitefish’s time in the national spotlight will have a big impact on generating new tourism interest to the area.

“Anytime we can get Whitefish in front of a mainstream, national TV audience, we know there will be an impact,” said Lisa Jones, WCVB spokeswoman.

“The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” both have a proven record of spurring travel interest to areas where the show is taped.

The days following the premiere of an episode of “The Bachelor” taped in South Africa were reportedly the busiest ever on the South Africa tourism website. The South African tourism agency took advantage of the increased traffic by selling “Bachelor” themed vacation packages that highlighted destinations from the episode.

After “The Bachelorette” was shot in Tahiti, visitation there reportedly shot up 37 percent.

“The show will reach a wide audience — it’s mostly watched by women and they are the ones who do the travel planning,” said WCVB director Jan Metzmaker.

Whether the show’s impact on Whitefish tourism reaches its potential or not, Wednesday’s spectacle was a night to remember for those who ventured to town.

The concert stage was set up on Central Avenue between First and Second Street and downtown was quickly transformed into an idyllic — although somewhat contrived — mountain town setting.

Whitefish Mountain Resort lit up the slopes as if it were mid-winter, bright yellow aspen trees were brought in to add color, and each of the shops lining Central had its lights turned on to create a warm glow for cameras staged at street level and high above on scissors lifts.

An estimated 500 people came out to see the show — including one Winter Carnival mountain man — with some hoping to make it on camera as a face in the crowd. Those who arrived early signed a model release before gathering in front of the stage.

The TV crew warmed up the audience prior to the arrival of bachelor Sean Lowe and his chosen date for the night Lindsay Yenter. As the two walked down Central, the crowd parted and erupted in pseudo cheers. The couple took to an elevated stage and danced to Darling’s hit songs while Yenter held a rose — a signature moment in the reality show.

Producers needed multiple shots of the scene, so Lowe and his date smooched and danced, and smooched and danced some more until the shot was just right. At one point the couple went crowd surfing and in another scene Lowe lifted Yenter into the air and twirled her around.

Crews had taken over a portion of Montana Coffee Traders as a production hub while other secret service-type members in black puffy down jackets walked the perimeter of the crowd.

The taping was over at 10:30 p.m. and by the next morning Central Avenue was reopened to traffic.

Production crews were in Whitefish until the end of the week.