Study: Perception of tourism’s role in Montana is changing

A small minority of Montanans continue to believe that tourism creates more negative impacts than positive benefits to the state, but tourism is not seen as a main cause for making Montana seem “overcrowded.”

These are the conclusions of the University of Montana’s Institute of Tourism and Recreation Research’s annual survey of resident attitudes toward tourism. The February report was prepared by Norma Nickerson.

Since 1991, the survey has asked Montanans whether the overall benefits of tourism outweigh the negative impacts, whether increased tourism in Montana would improve the overall quality of life for residents, and whether the state is becoming overcrowded because of more tourists.

By RICHARD HANNERS
Northwest Montana News Network

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