Nearly 14 million people visited Montana in 2024. They spent $5 billion exploring national parks, riding through dude ranches and sampling menus at mountaintop resorts.

Starting in August, Gallatin College Montana State University will train students to house, guide and feed the state’s tourists and other travelers with a one-year hospitality certificate. The certificate provides baseline knowledge of business communication, culinary arts, hotel management and more, said program manager Meredith Allen.

The program received $1 million in funding from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, which also supported plans to construct a new Gallatin College MSU building on the MSU campus.

“In partnership with the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, we are proud to support one of the largest industries in our state by offering education and training, as well as a steppingstone to four-year hospitality programs at MSU,” said Stephanie Gray, dean of the college.