Tourism and Montana may have a bit of a love/hate relationship, but the reality is that tourism brings money to the state and makes recreation and outdoor oriented jobs available, as well as many service positions, according to 2013 research conducted by the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research. Outfitters, raft companies, guest ranches, fishing companies, gas stations, restaurants, and many more businesses are around because of the tourist dollars – $3.62 billion, to be exact – that come through our state. According to this research, visitors to the state directly support 34,000 jobs and indirectly account for another 14,500 jobs in Montana. Is your job one of the 48,500 jobs that tourism helps support? Mine is.
Tourists don’t come to Montana to visit a theme park or go to a big city. Tourists come to Montana to see what is already here and to explore our unique culture and heritage. Visitors want to see the “real Montana.” They want to fish, hunt, hike and ride horses while looking out on the beautiful, open landscapes of places like the Rocky Mountain Font. These true Montana values are a large part of our economy, and we should do our best to make sure that we preserve the places that make our state unique. We don’t need to build anything to bring in tourists to boost our local economy; all we have to do is protect the values we already have.
You can help boost the economy, support local jobs and encourage visitors to check out the east side of the divide by supporting the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act. Contact Congressman Steve Daines, today, and tell him you want to keep Montana a unique and wonderful state.
Allison Linville
Missoula