Wildfires Cost Montana $240M in Tourist Spending
A new report says summer fires cost the state of Montana $240 million in visitor spending.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported preliminary date released by the University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreational Research estimates that tourists spent almost $3.3 billion in Montana this year, supporting more than 53,000 jobs.
According to the institute’s report released Tuesday, both numbers would have been higher if it had not been for a series of summer fires.
The report estimates Montana lost roughly 800,000 visitors from July through September, equating to more than $240 million spending.
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