During the past two years, nonresident tourists visiting Montana spent a combined $5.82 billion in the Treasure State, an all-time high.

That’s according to a new report by the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research (ITRR) at the University of Montana, which examined nonresident spending during 2022 and 2023. Compared to the last two-year study, covering 2021 and 2022, average annual nonresident spending at gas stations, local restaurants, hotels and other tourism-oriented businesses grew by 2.5%.

Among the state’s five designated tourism regions, Glacier Country, comprising the western portion of Montana, saw a two-year average of $1.9 billion in annual nonresident spending, accounting for more than a third of all traveler expenditures. Yellowstone Country, which includes Bozeman and Big Sky, was next with $1.36 billion in average annual spending.