Top 3 Reasons Why Montana Should Welcome Tourists With Open Arms

The internet is a place where people can spew their hate while comfortably and secretly hiding behind a screen. Often folks will say things online that they would never say face to face for fear of getting punched in the nose.

Of course, one of the big complaints online regarding Montana is the frustration locals have with tourists.

Tourism is one of the leading industries in the state, and frankly, Montana would be much worse financially if it wasn't for all of those millions of people who flock here to see and experience what life is like in Big Sky Country and spend their money while doing so.

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We're all aware that Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks bring in lots of folks, but so do skiing, fishing, and all of the other outdoor activities that we offer here in Montana, and while some might not like it, you certainly can't argue that without it, the state would suffer.

So, let's take a look at The Top 3 Reasons Why Montana Should Welcome Tourists With Open Arms.

Tourism means billions of dollars for the state's economy

According to The Missoulian, in 2022 tourists brought in over 5 billion dollars to Montana and according to other sources, 1 billion of that alone came from Bozeman and Gallatin County. The truth is while it might be "inconvenient" and "annoying" for those of us living here, the powers that be in the state welcome those dollars.

Tourism results in tens of thousands of jobs for local Montanans

What does tourism mean to the workforce? According to the data, over 43 thousand Montanans are employed by the tourist industry. To give you an example, that's more than the number of people that live in the city of Butte.

Tourism helps lower the tax burden on residents

Roads, new construction, and improvements in municipalities are all impacted and benefited by tourism dollars. As cities and towns grow, the hope is that the infrastructure does as well which can and should result in better schools, teachers, and other services such as police and fire departments. Plus, it means a reduced tax burden of close to one thousand dollars per household according to the data.

I realize that for those who are "anti-tourists," most any argument made to support tourism will more than likely fall on deaf ears, however, if data from the last few years is any indication, it doesn't look like the number of people visiting Montana is going to decrease anytime soon.