Report: Montana saw fewer tourists in '25, but spending jumps to $5.6B

The numbers are estimates provided by the institute, which collects information from tourists every year to compile their data. The numbers were published in early June in a report, The Montana Travel Industry — 2025 Summary.

In the northwest region of Montana the institute calls "Glacier Country," which includes Missoula, Ravalli, Lake and Flathead counties, visitors spent over $356 million at restaurants and bars alone, along with over $261 million on hotels and motels.

"Tourism supported 52,610 jobs (1 in 11 statewide), generated $360 million in state and local taxes, and saved the average Montana household over $740 in taxes," wrote Melissa Weddell, the director of the institute. "Glacier Country led regional spending at $1.79 billion, followed by Yellowstone Country at $1.34 billion."

Weddell broke down some of the visitation statistics in her summary of the report.

"The typical visitor was 57.8 years old, traveled in a group of 2.2, stayed 5.2 nights, and arrived primarily by car (74%)," she wrote. "Top origin states were Washington, Idaho, and North Dakota. Visitors were drawn most by mountains and forests (71%), open spaces (50%), and rivers (49%)."

Montana's outdoor recreation economy ranked third in the U.S. at 4.9% of the state's gross domestic product, generating $3.8 billion in economic impact.

"Travel and tourism represented the largest employment sector in the state at 18.3% of jobs," Weddell wrote.

Weddell is including industries that directly support travel and tourism, such as retail, restaurants, accommodations, arts, entertainment, recreation and passenger transportation in those numbers.

"State park visitation reached 3.4 million (up 4.9%), while Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks drew 4.8 million and 3.1 million visitors, respectively," she wrote.

There were over 3.3 million airport deboardings in 2025, a 5.78% increase over 2024.

Visitors to Missoula County spent a total of $561.8 million, with the most money, $131 million, on restaurants and bars.

Tourists to Lewis and Clark County spent a total of $191.1 million last year, spending the most money, $31.6 million, in licenses and entrance fees.

In Ravalli County, visitors spent $89.3 million, with rental cabins and condos the largest chunk of that at $21 million.

Yellowstone County saw $436.1 million in total visitor spending, with hotels and motels taking up $90.9 million of that.

Silver Bow County got $197.5 million in spending, with gas and diesel taking up over $70 million of that.

Conventions and meetings

On Tuesday, the institute also gave a presentation on the latest research into Montana's meetings and conventions industry.

Elena Bigart, a research associate with the institute, said they surveyed event planners, hoteliers and other planners, experts and regional tourism directors. They also dug into a state database of meeting and convention venues for different regions.

She said that Montana is viewed as an attractive destination for mid-sized and experience-based meetings, but infrastructure and accessibility remain the main barriers to attracting money-generating conferences.

"Yes, we can't compare with larger cities, especially on the East Coast and California, but (Montana) is very unique for experience-based meetings," she said. "There are lots of great strengths we have in Montana."

She said it's not as easy to get to Montana compared to big hubs like Spokane or Boise.

Missoula is the most-often considered place in Montana for gatherings like meetings and conferences, she said.

She showed that the University of Montana has about 33,000 square feet of meeting space combined across five different venues.

"Regional events really help balance Montana's seasonal tourism economy," she said.

The main challenges cited by hoteliers in attracting conferences include seasonal demand fluctuations, lack of sufficient space, limited transportation access for attendees, competition from other venues and lack of event planners in the area.

Factors that make Montana attractive include scenic beauty, natural attractions, historic venues and friendly staff.

"Almost everybody cited the important economic role, the multiple revenue streams, that come from conferences," Bigart said. "This especially helps in the offseason."

For a recording of the full presentation, visit the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research's YouTube page.