Travelers to Montana decline but their spending increases

KALISPELL, Mont. — The University of Montana says fewer people visited Montana in 2018 than the year before, but they spent more money.

The Flathead Beacon reported Friday that preliminary statistics compiled by the university show the number of out-of-state visitors declined by 2 percent from 2017 to 2018, but their spending increased by about 10 percent.

The numbers were reported by the university's Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research.

The institute says tourism supports 58,000 jobs in Montana both directly and indirectly.

The institute says Montana attracted 12.2 million non-resident visitors in 2018, down from 12.5 million in 2017. Their spending totaled $3.7 billion last year, up from nearly $3.4 billion in 2017.