Bozeman Bursting with Eco-Tourism

Although it is hard for born and raised Bozemanites to say it aloud, Montana’s best kept secret is not a secret any more.

It hasn’t been hard to see that Bozeman has been expanding in just about every direction; from the first pavement that was laid down on 19th about 15 years ago to the increasing variability of the people coming to live, go to school, and vacation here.

According to the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research (ITRR), Bozeman has held an average of 350,000 tourists per year after lawmakers authorized the implementation of resort tax and lodging taxes 4 years ago. This is 100,000 more than 2010. This exponential expansion of Bozeman, and the increase in the number of those wanting to reside and visit here raises the question, how did our city become so exposed?

One could say that Bozeman was destined to be a tourist town. The city’s central location to the Yellowstone Club, Big Sky Ski Resort, Bridger Bowl, Yellowstone National Park, Montana’s largest city, Billings, and its reputation for outdoor activities makes it an inevitable tourist town. But what about the recent jump in visitor numbers? Some say the reason for this sudden increase lies in recent efforts to provide means to market for tourists and develop easier access to Bozeman.

“We have been marketing for a long time but it wasn’t until the 2009 to 2010 year that we were able to collect tax and use it for planning ways to bring tourists in,” said Daryl Schliem, the President/CEO of the Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce.

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