Nonresident spending up more than 10 percent in 2018

Nonresident travelers spent $3.58 billion throughout Montana in 2018, according to an annual report published by the University of Montana's Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research. This is a 10.4 percent increase from the previous year's estimate.

"We see this as a big plus for Montana since our numbers indicate that visitation was relatively flat in 2018, but spending was up," said ITRR Director Norma Nickerson.

Analysis of each of Montana's six travel regions and 14 of the counties with the highest nonresident spending show that visitation and spending are widespread throughout the st...