Montana welcomed 13.2 million visitors in 2025, and while that figure marked a decline from the previous year, the money those travelers left behind set a new benchmark: $5.6 billion in total visitor spending, a 12 percent increase over 2024, according to research from the University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research.
Spending Up, Visitors Down
The apparent paradox — fewer visitors, more revenue — reflects both longer stays and higher per-trip spending. Visitors connected to national parks and outfitter operations averaged seven to eight days in the state, giving them more time to spend on lodging, fuel, food, and guided services.
Melissa Weddell, director of the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research, said Montana’s standing as a drive-through destination plays a central role in the spending numbers. “We are a drive state, and things that we do in the state like buy gas and stay in lodging has all increased,” she said.
Weddell also noted that advance planning insulates Montana tourism from short-term economic uncertainty. “Visitors plan ahead, they book things, and they’re going to come no matter what,” she said.
Economic Footprint Across the State
When accounting for indirect and induced spending — the ripple effect of tourism dollars moving through the broader economy — total economic impact reached $7.1 billion. The sector supported 52,610 jobs statewide and generated $360 million in state and local tax revenue, a figure that effectively offsets a portion of the public cost of maintaining the infrastructure and public lands that draw visitors in the first place.
Glacier County and Yellowstone County together accounted for 58 percent of all nonresident spending, underscoring how heavily Montana’s tourism economy concentrates around Glacier National Park in the northwest and the Yellowstone gateway communities in the south-central part of the state. Both counties serve as primary entry points for national park visitors arriving by car, rail, or air.
Winter Season Offered a Boost
Despite a winter characterized as mild overall, ski resorts benefited from snow coverage that extended through April, helping sustain winter recreation revenue into what is typically a shoulder period. That extended season likely contributed to the spending increase by keeping facilities open and staffed longer than a shorter snow year would allow.
The mild-but-extended winter dynamic illustrates a recurring tension in Montana’s outdoor economy: conditions that disappoint early in the season can still yield strong results if snowpack persists into spring, when skiers and snowmobilers have more flexible schedules.
Policy and Revenue Implications
The $360 million in state and local tax revenue carries significance beyond a simple economic headline. Tourism-generated tax receipts help fund road maintenance, park operations, and local services in counties that might otherwise struggle to cover costs driven up by the same visitor traffic that produces the revenue. For rural counties near park boundaries, the balance between visitor infrastructure demands and tax return is an ongoing budget consideration.
Montana lawmakers and the Governor’s office have in recent sessions debated how to reinvest tourism-related revenue, particularly into road and recreation infrastructure in high-traffic areas. The 2025 legislative session addressed several related appropriations, and interim committees are expected to continue examining those funding structures ahead of the 2027 session.
What to Watch
With the 2026 summer travel season already underway, early indicators will matter for whether 2025’s spending gains hold. National economic conditions — including fuel prices and consumer confidence — tend to affect drive-market destinations like Montana more directly than fly-in destinations, since road-trip decisions are often made closer to departure.
The University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research is expected to track 2026 visitation data through the season, with full-year figures typically released in the following year. Tourism industry groups will use the 2025 benchmarks as a baseline when making the case to policymakers for continued investment in the infrastructure that keeps Montana competitive as a travel destination.
