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Report: Montana See Record Number of Visitors, Bed Tax

12,475,000 visitors stayed an average of 4.7 nights in hotels, campgrounds, bed and breakfasts and vacation rentals

By Associated Press

BOZEMAN – New data show a record number of travelers passed through Montana last year.

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports the University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research found that 12,475,000 visitors stayed an average of 4.7 nights in hotels, campgrounds, bed and breakfasts and vacation rentals across The Treasure State in 2017.

The institute’s findings show the state made $30.7 million in lodging tax revenue statewide in 2017, up 5 percent from the year prior.

The majority of these collections are funneled back into promotional material produced by the Montana Department of Tourism and Business Development, while the separate 3 percent lodging sales tax collections are reserved for the state’s general fund.

The state spends roughly $12 million annually on tourism-related causes.

The report says visitors spent an estimated $3.36 billion in Montana in 2017, supporting 53,000 jobs.