Lodging taxes paid by overnight visitors help maintain and preserve some of our state’s greatest treasures. In addition to benefitting MT State Parks, the MT Historical Society and the MT Heritage Commission, lodging tax funds have aided 114 infrastructure projects and 106 special events across the state.
Photo: Wild Horse Island State Park courtesy of Montana State Parks
As one of the state’s largest employers, non-resident tourism directly supports 66,550 jobs statewide. The indirect & induced economic benefits of tourism support another 16,240 jobs in Montana. Taken together, this means one in every 9 Montana workers is supported by out-of-state travelers. The industry also provides fertile ground for entrepreneurship and independent small business.
Every day, non-resident visitors spend over $14 million dollars in Montana on average — sending a positive ripple effect through our economy and generating over $414 million in state & local tax revenues. Each household in the state would have to spend over $930 more per year to have the same impact.
Photo: Glacier National Park courtesy of Tia Troy/Glacier Country Tourism
As a leading industry in Montana, in 2023 non-resident tourism supports 66,500 local jobs, adds over $5.45 billion to the economy annually, and contributes to the preservation of historical, cultural and recreational treasures.
Voices of Montana Tourism exists to educate audiences on the importance of tourism promotion funding—which comes from a lodging tax paid by overnight guests. In a competitive marketplace, travelers have many options. With the passage of SB540 in 2023, Commerce has the tools to create innovative solutions to bolster opportunities for rural, under-visited, and tribal communities.
While tourism promotion is responsible for bringing a significant portion of visitors to the state each year, its value is underestimated by some state leaders. That’s why we’re bringing the many voices of Montana tourism together to raise greater awareness of tourism’s value to our state. We want to ensure the future health of tourism so that our state can continue to enjoy the jobs, revenues and benefits afforded by non-resident travel.