Fewer Tourists In Montana, But They Spend More

Montana tourism declined for the first time in a decade in 1996, but visitors are spending more while in the state, the Montana tourism promotion office says.

The 7.9 million tourists in 1996 were 100,000 fewer than in 1995, but they spent $1.28 billion, about $40 million more than the year before.

Matthew Cohn, director of the Travel Montana program, attributed the decline partly to Montana’s waning novelty for out-of-state residents, especially Canadians. The unfavorable money exchange rate also discourages Canadian visitors.

At the same time, Cohn said, Montana is spending less of its motel tax revenue on state promotion and more on upgrading public facilities that serve tourists.

At the same time, he said, the tourists who are visiting are spending more money as they travel by airplane, rent cars and stay at more expensive resorts.

About half of the tourists come between June and September, with July and August being heaviest tourist traffic months, a recent study found.

Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park are the two leading reasons for people deciding to visit the state.