An analysis recently completed by the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana highlights the economic contribution of nonresident travel spending to each of the six travel regions in Montana, as well as 18 of the state’s 56 counties.
Estimates of the economic contribution of traveler spending at the statewide level showed that 11.02 million visitors spent approximately $3.62 billion in 2013, which directly supported $2.8 billion of economic activity and over 33,000 Montana jobs.
Nonresident travelers indirectly support an additional $1.6 billion of economic activity and 14,600 jobs. Associated with those travel-related jobs is $979 million in labor income directly attributable to nonresident travel and another $525 million indirectly attributable to nonresident spending.
Focusing on the $105 million spent by nonresident travelers in the northeastern part of the state, $63 million of economic activity and 830 jobs are directly supported in Missouri River Country Travel Region. An additional $22 million of economic activity and 200 jobs are indirectly supported. A total of $24 million in labor income is directly attributable to nonresident spending, supplemented by an additional $7 million indirectly supported by traveler spending.
Richland County, located within Missouri River Country was included in the analysis. A total of $32 million of economic activity in Richland County was directly supported by the $56 million spent in the county, with an additional $9 million supported indirectly. Spending in the county directly supported 390 jobs and nearly $14 million in labor income, with an additional 90 jobs and $3 million in labor income being indirectly supported.
The full report, including estimates of the economic contribution of nonresident traveler spending in the other five Montana travel regions, as well as additional county-level estimates, is available online at http://www.itrr.umt.edu/.
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