Domestic travel in the US increased by nearly 3% last year, so what happened to the state of Montana?
Nonresident travel there was flat while air traffic increased by 5%, officials said.
Why?
• Speculation is that gas prices reduced long-haul trips with vacationers staying closer to home.
• The Montana Division of Travel Promotion says their advertising budget has not kept pace with other mountain states.
But the future looks brighter. The state has spent 10 years gearing up for commemorative celebrations of the two century anniversary of Lewis and Clark’s spending the summer here. Tourism officials predict a 2% increase in visitors this year.
Report by David Wilkening
