1999 Montana Travel and Recreation Outlook

1. 1999 Montana Travel and Recreation Outlook Institute for Tourism & Recreation Research The University of Montana

2. 1999 Travel Activity Projections REALISTIC • 2% increase in overall nonresident travel • -1% decrease in Canadian visits • 2% increase in skier visits OPTIMISTIC • 4% Increase in overall nonresident travel

3. Travel Industry 1999 Projections 48% 22% 18% 12%

4. 1999 National Projections • +2.3% Consumer price index • +2.9% Real Disposable Income • +3.0% Real personal consumption • +2.8% Air revenue passenger-miles • +3.2% Airline capacity • +3.6% Hotel room supply • +2.6% Hotel demand • -1.2% Hotel occupancy • +4.0% Hotel room rates • +3.0% RV shipments

5. Montana Highway Changes

6. National Park Visitation Yellowstone Glacier

7. Travel Industry Make-up • 4% increase in 1998 to 9.2 million visitors • $1.5 billion nonresident travel expenditures • Over 28,000 direct jobs • $423 million personal income • $57 million in proprietary income

8. Travel Industry Make-up Con’t. Who dropped the $1.5 billion in Montana? • 49% vacationers • 22% visiting friends & relatives • 11% business • 12% passing through • 10% other (medical, shopping, mtgs..)

9. Nonresident Vacation Groups Winter Summer Shoulder Length of Stay(days) 5.4 4.6 4.8 Avg. Daily expend. $146 $108 $97 Total Expenditures $98 mill. $556 mill. $88 mill. % of season in $ 41% 57% 29% % of annual in $ 6% 37% 6% % of season groups 20% 49% Residence ND, MN CA,WA WA,ID Alb.

10. Fishing Market • 6% of summer vacationers • 68,000 visitor groups • Stay 6.8 days • Spend $139 per group per day • Expend $64 million in the summer • Represents 7% of all summer expenditures

11. Downhill Skiing/Snowboard Market • 22% of winter vacationers • 27,000 visitor groups • Stay 5.9 days • Spend $134 per group per day • Expend $21 million in the winter • Represents 9% of all winter expenditures

12. Snowmobile Market • 20% of winter vacationers • 24,000 visitor groups • Stay 6.0 days • Spend $188 per group per day • Expend $27 million in the winter • Represents 11% of all winter expenditures

13. Lewis & Clark County - Nonresident Visitors • 16% of all nonresidents drove through (623,000) • 6% of all nonresidents spent a night (216,000) • 35% who drove through spent a night (captured!) • $43 million nonresident dollars were dropped in Lewis & Clark County in 1998 • Visitor spending per capita - $ 808

14. Cascade County - Nonresident Visitors • 15% of all nonresidents drove through (570,000) • 7% of all nonresidents spent a night (270,000) • 47% who drove through spent a night (captured!) • $79 nonresident dollars were dropped in Cascade County in 1998 • Visitor spending per capita - $1,005

15. Missoula County - Nonresident Visitors • 41% of all nonresidents drove through (1,564,000) • 14% of all nonresidents spent a night (552,000) • 35% who drove through spent a night (captured!) • $157 million nonresident dollars were dropped in Missoula County in 1998 • Visitor spending per capita - $1,773

16. Yellowstone County - Nonresident Visitors • 38% of all nonresidents drove through (1,450,000) • 17% of all nonresidents spent a night (629,000) • 43% who drove through spent a night (captured!) • $214 million nonresident dollars were dropped in Yellowstone County in 1998 • Visitor spending per capita - $1,704

17. Gallatin County - Nonresident Visitors • 46% of all nonresidents drove through (1,752,000) • 22% of all nonresidents spent a night (845,000) • 48% who drove through spent a night (captured!) • $300 million nonresident dollars were dropped in Gallatin County in 1998 • Visitor spending per capita - $4,913

18. Silver Bow County - Nonresident Visitors • 40% of all nonresidents drove through (1,513,000) • 7% of all nonresidents spent a night (270,000) • 18% who drove through spent a night (captured!) • $74 million nonresident dollars were dropped in Silver Bow County in 1998 • Visitor spending per capita - $2,161

19. Flathead County - Nonresident Visitors • 20% of all nonresidents drove through (596,000) • 15% of all nonresidents spent a night (562,000) • 74% who drove through spent a night (captured!) • $144 million nonresident dollars were dropped in Flathead County in 1998 • Visitor spending per capita - $2,014

20. Montana Resident Travel Trip characteristics, activity participation, and total trip spending. Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research The University of Montana

21. Resident Travel Types of Trips Taken • 86% of Montana Households took at least one trip during the month they were surveyed. 81% took a pleasure trip 28% took a business trip 18% took a trip for other reasons

22. Resident Travel Number of Pleasure Trips Taken

23. Resident Travel Montana Pleasure Travel Groups • Montana Day Trip Travelers • Montana Overnight Trip Travelers • Out of State Trip Travelers

24. Resident Travel Reasons for Most Recent Pleasure Trip • Visiting Family & Friends 31% • Rest & Relaxation 24% • Recreational Activity 13% • Sightseeing 8% • Family Event 7% • Entertainment 5%

25. Resident Travel Activity Participation While Traveling • Visiting Historic, Cultural, or Interpretive Sites • Day Hiking • Nature Photography • Attending Special Events & Festivals • Fishing • Boating or Water Activities • Attending Sporting Events • Off-Road Recreation

26. Resident Travel Length of Pleasure Trips • Montana Day Travelers 1 Day • Montana Overnight Travelers 3 Days • Out of State Travelers 10 Days

27. Resident Travel $677 Per Trip $239 Per Trip $63 Per Trip

28. Tourism and the Montana ResidentResident Attitudes Toward TourismInstitute for Tourism & Recreation ResearchThe University of Montana

29. “Friendly People” is cited as an attraction to Montana for 1 in 5 nonresident summer visitors. Nonresident travel is a major industry in Montana. It’s our responsibility to assure resident satisfaction with the industry. Resident attitudes are one measure of positive and negative impacts of nonresident travel. Residents are the tourism industry. Why Examine Attitudes Toward Tourism?

30. Residents and Their Community • Residents want to be involved with decisions about tourism. • Residents would be sorry to leave their community. • Residents are concerned about the future of their community.

31. Quality of Life Factors The Good News... • The current condition of museums & cultural centers and parks & recreation are good, and tourism has a positive influence on these elements. • The current condition of job opportunities is poor, but tourism has a positiveinfluence on jobs.

32. Quality of Life Factors The Bad News... • Currently, safety from crime is in good condition, but tourism has a negative influence. • Cost of living, condition of roads & highways, and traffic congestion are in poor condition, and tourism has a negative influence.

33. Residents believe tourism should play a role equal to that of other industries in Montana. The Industry in Montana

34. Residents ranked the Tourism and Recreation industry fifth of seven as a possible opportunity for future economic development. The Industry in Montana 1. Retail & Wholesale Trade 2. Agriculture/ Agribusiness 3. Services 4. Manufacturing 5. Tourism/Recreation 6. Wood Products 7. Mining Best Worst

35. Overall, Montana residents do not feel their jobs are very dependent on the nonresident travel industry . Dependence on Tourism

36. Residents do not tend to encounter tourists on a regular basis. However, the majority of residents strive to make visitors feel welcome. Tourists and Montana Residents

37. Resident Attitudes - The Good News • support continued tourism promotion • promotion benefits their county economically • the benefits of tourism outweigh the negative impacts • tourism helps communities grow in the right direction • support land-use regulations to control future growth • there is adequate open space, but concerned about its potential disappearance. • residents’ access to recreation opportunities is not limited by tourism

38. Resident Attitudes The Not-So-Good News • Won’t personally benefit financially with increased tourism. • Undecided on whether increased tourism will increase quality of life. • Undecided on whether tourism influences too many people to move to Montana.

39. Resident Attitudes - More Good News? Tourism benefits outweigh negatives, but is resident perception falling? On scale from -2 = Strongly Disagree to 0 = Unsure to +2 = Strongly Agree Tourism increases the quality of life in Montana, but to what extent? On scale from -2 = Strongly Disagree to 0 = Unsure to +2 = Strongly Agree

40. Resident Opinions Bed Tax Suggestions • 48% for “environmental protection” • State parks • Fish & wildlife resources • Open space • Easement access • 19% infrastructure • 14% promotion • 13% cultural/heritage tourism • 6% misc. (research, other)

41. Resident Opinions Bed Tax Suggestions Why are these opinions important? • They are a “red flag”. • There is a recognized need to protect the product - our natural areas and resources. • These amenities are ultimately why visitors come to Montana. • Resident support can make or break the nonresident travel industry.

42. Thank you!