September and October broke visitation records in Northwest Montana, which bodes well for sustainable revenue, say local tourism experts. But the late season spike made only a slight difference in the state’s overall visitation numbers.  

There are still data sources that the University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research need to finalize their annual report for 2024, according to Director and Research Faculty Melissa Weddell. But based on preliminary numbers, she expects to see visitation and spending to be relatively the same or a little less than in 2023. 

12.5 million visitors spent $5.45 billion in Montana last year, according to the Insitute’s 2023 report.  

She said visitor spending on lodges seems to have gone up around 5%, which could be due to higher hotel prices to compensate for the lodging tax.  

“Occupancy has been pretty flat, even with short term rentals, but price per hotel room is more expensive, and so I think that's why you're seeing the lodging tax ... but I anticipate visitation to either stay about the same or maybe a little less,” Weddell said.  

One unique aspect about 2024 was the high visitation in the late summer and early fall, when the region saw mild temperatures and clear skies. Weddell said September and October can be a sweet spot, when travelers take in changing autumn colors, often without the concern of wildfire smoke obstructing views.  

The many people who came to Glacier National Park in September and October got to enjoy just that — enough to break all-time records for highest visitation in those months, according to park officials.  

There were 602,339 park visitors this past September, an increase of nearly 49,000 people when compared to the same month in 2023. In October, 165,018 people toured the park, up 26,000 guests over the year prior.  

Overall, Glacier had 3,166,612 visitors in 2024 through October, the latest data available online. By October 2023, there were 2,891,165 visitors.  

SUPERINTENDENT DAVE Roemer said he was excited to welcome so many people to the park from Montana and beyond in 2024. Park officials were able to do this without “breaking the park or exceeding staff capacity,” he said, which can be a challenge during the shoulder season.  

"I feel sometimes that with vehicle reservations, people think of it as a quota, as a hard limit. And I think the year that we had is kind of a demonstration of the fact that we're not limiting the numbers of people who come into the park. We are trying to apportion them through time and space in ways that maintain a great park experience,” Roemer said.  

In 2024, park officials announced changes to the pilot vehicle reservation system that proved successful, Roemer said. Those changes included no longer requiring tickets for the St. Mary entrance of the Going-to-the-Sun Road and Two Medicine as well as allowing visitors to purchase tickets for the next day starting at 7 p.m. Park officials also moved the ticketing checkpoint past Apgar Village, so visitors without a reservation could have access to that area and Lake McDonald.  

Based off of feedback from those who have participated in their recent public comment period about improving visitor experience, Roemer said many reported enjoying having access to Apgar and found it easier to get a ticket with the next day reservation option.  

Access to Apgar was reflected in sales netted by the Glacier National Park Conservancy, the main fundraising partner for the park. Executive Director Doug Mitchell said park stores saw a significant change in traffic at the Apgar Visitor Center. There was an increase at their St. Mary store as well, but he said access to Apgar without a ticket was a clear contributor to higher sales.  

“Of course, being able to have visitors get to Apgar without a vehicle reservation was very significant in terms of access to the shuttle system, access to the visitor center and access to the bookstore there. So, we saw a significant uptick in retail sales that benefited the park,” Mitchell said.  

He said he’s confident the nonprofit will be able to provide $4.1 million for park projects in 2025. He said members of the nonprofit's board of directors have agreed to match donations up to $100,000 through the end of the year to help push the effort over the top. 

"With the support of our visitors to the park and also our donors, we will set records again in both areas,” he said.  

Meeting that goal represents growth for the organization, he said. When the Glacier National Park Fund and the Glacier Natural History Association merged in 2013 to create the conservancy, the nonprofit donated $862,654 to the park, which increased to $2.1 million by 2017 and $3.5 million in 2022.  

He said park stores remained busy during the fall, but business that time of year is limited by how long the visitor centers stay open. Typically, Logan Pass closes near the end of September while Apgar stays open later into October.  

MANY AREA businesses enjoyed revenue generated by a strong shoulder season in the fall. Discover Kalispell Executive Director Diane Medler said as a tourism bureau, it’s been the longstanding goal to not increase visitation during peak season in July and August, but to “spread it out” and encourage people to come in the shoulder and winter seasons, which helps businesses have a more predictable revenue stream.  

It’s a trend they are hoping to see continue in 2025, she said. Part of the strategy as a bureau is to bring in more sports tournaments, conferences and other kinds of group business that will increase occupancy during the shoulder season. She said that helped bolster business in June in 2024, and because those groups stay in certain hotels, it causes a ripple effect as leisure travelers spread out to other area lodging options. 

“Group business is a strategy of ours and something that we invest in and for group sales and to bring that business here, because it's very advantageous for those shoulder season months,” Medler said. 

She said they’ll continue to promote Kalispell as a destination for travel during the winter, fall and spring, putting a big emphasis on attracting those group bookings with sales and business development initiatives.  

Lucy Guthrie Beighle, director of communications for Western Montana’s Glacier Country, said Northwest Montana is seeing more of this kind of travel. In an email to the Daily Inter Lake, she said a recent survey for corporate incentive meetings shows that planners are seeking destinations their groups have never been to, including third- and fourth-tier cities and destinations that can give them more authentic and hands-on experiences. 

Other trends tracked by Western Montana’s Glacier Country include a rise in solo travel, particularly with women. Beighle said 85% of solo travelers are women, but that doesn’t mean they are recreating alone. She said it’s common to see solo female travelers come with tour companies, cruises and selecting itineraries that involve a group activity. 

“Companies are seeing this trend and creating itineraries for “Girl’s Getaways” and other types of itineraries they have never done before,” she said. 

Also, travel by train is up, with Amtrak setting a ridership record. That figure could double by 2040.  

“This is great news for our Empire Builder stops in Western Montana,” Beighle said.  

She said they’ve also seen a noticeable rise in the number of East Indian travelers visiting national parks.  

Overall, travelers are looking for unique destinations, less populated areas, and cultural experiences, she said.  

Beighle cited data from the Flathead Valley collected from marketing company Zartico , which offers insights into travel behaviors. 

“We’re seeing sustained interest in regional travel from neighboring states. In 2024, 32.7% of out-of-region visitors came from Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Utah and Colorado. This trend reflects both accessibility and familiarity, and we expect it to continue driving significant visitation numbers next year,” Beighle said. 

Along with this trend, she said visitors are increasingly allocating a larger portion of their budgets to food and beverage experiences. This year, spending on dining reached 39.4%, compared to just 18.1% for accommodations. While the region's landscape and outdoor recreation remain the primary draw, these numbers emphasize a growing enthusiasm for Northwest Montana’s culinary offerings, Beighle said.  

These trends point to a visitor base that seeks adventurous recreation paired with memorable food experiences, a combination that positions Flathead Valley well for continued tourism growth in 2025, according to Beighle. 

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4433 or by emailing [email protected].