Survey details Montana's nonresident visitors

The average nonresident tourist to Montana is 58 years old, traveling in a group of 2.15 people, has a household income of about $75,000 a year and is a repeat visitor who enjoys scenic drives.

That’s a quick gleaning of survey results by the University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research for the first two quarters of this year. ITTR’s sample size was 2,654 nonresident respondents, which statistically equates to 2.8 million people.

About 61 percent of respondents said they visited Yellowstone National Park, and 23 percent came to Glacier Park. Among the 27 different destinations mentioned in the survey, 5 percent of respondents said they visited state parks along Flathead Lake and 1 percent visited the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

The top-five activities cited by respondents included scenic driving, nature photography, wildlife viewing, day hiking and car or RV camping. Nearly a quarter mentioned “recreational shopping.”

The average stay in Montana lasted 4.75 nights, of which 33 percent was spent in the Yellowstone Country state tourist region and 27 percent was spent in Glacier Country. The latter includes Flathead, Lake, Missoula and Glacier counties. Nearly half the respondents said they stayed in hotels or motels, and more than three-quarters traveled to Montana by car or truck.

The primary attraction for 34 percent of respondents was Yellowstone Park. Tied in second place with 12 percent each were mountains and forests, open space and uncrowded areas, and Glacier Park.

Most of the respondents came from the Pacific Northwest, including 12 percent from Idaho, 10 percent from Alberta and British Columbia, and 10 percent from Washington. Sixteen percent were first-time visitors. A third of respondents traveled by themselves and a third traveled as couples.

When it came to comments, the majority of respondents liked Montana’s road conditions, scenic driving opportunities and open spaces. Most respondents also liked the “character” of Montana and felt welcomed. ITTR followed up on comments from earlier surveys about lack of recycling and found some concerns remain.