Montana and Tourism: Which Montana Town Brings In The Most Cash?

As you may know, I'm pro-tourism. I realize that might not be a popular choice among some Montanans, but the truth is that tourism is big business, and many Montanan businesses rely on those tourism dollars.

How much do tourists spend a year in Montana?

That's a tricky question as there are a few different numbers floating around, but what we do know for sure is it's over 5 Billion dollars a year. Yep, Billion with a B. So, before you dismiss all of the tourists, understand that money is going to support a lot of things that affects even the most staunch Montana tourists haters.

But which Montana town or city benefits the most from tourism? Towns like Big Sky, Gardiner, West Yellowstone, and the towns around Glacier National Park are rely heavily on tourists and a bad year can mean serious issues to the town. However, according to a quick search and some statistics, we know which Montana town benefits the most.

READ MORE: Montana mountain town ranked number one spot globally. 

According to Montana's Best TV's Instagram page, Billings receives the most visitors, followed by Kalispell, Missoula, West Yellowstone, and then Bozeman. Their numbers say that Billings receives about 2.6 million visitors a year while Bozeman receives about 1.4 and everyone else is in between.

However, we know that Bozeman/Yellowstone International Airport is the most visited airport in the state. We also know that out of the 5 billion dollars brought in by tourists, around 1.4 of that is spend in Bozeman and the surrounding area. In fact some studies suggest that Bozeman receives up to 4 million visitors each year even if their only flying here.

Which Montana town receives the most tourists?

To be honest, I'm not sure it matters. Those who are anti-tourists are just going to complain anyway. The point is, that the money being spent here helps everyone. So, invite your friends and family to come visit. There's lot's to see and do, and we're always happy to take their money...well, most of us.