Montana visitors return to near pre-pandemic levels

MISSOULA – About 12.5 million nonresidents visited Montana in 2021 and spent around $5.15 billion in the Treasure State, according to estimates by the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana.

The number of travelers visiting the state in 2021 increased 12.5% from 2020, bringing the number nearly back to the pre-pandemic visitation levels. This recovery performance far exceeded most of the nation.

Those 12.5 million travelers made up 5.6 million travel groups in Montana during the year. Nearly half of those travelers were here during the third quarter from Jul...