Tourism and spending in Montana returned to near pre-pandemic levels last year, according to research from the University of Montana.
The Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research found that over 12 million nonresidents visited Montana last year and spent about $5 billion. The institute says the rebound after a year’s worth of lockdowns from the COVID-19 pandemic outperformed most of the country.
Jeremy Sage, the research institute’s interim director, says slightly larger groups, longer stays and higher daily average spending per group resulted in the increase in spending.
The research institute says visitor dollars directly supported nearly 48,000 jobs.
Most travelers were in the state sometime between July and September.