Is This Popular Montana Vacation Destination In Trouble?

2021 was a report yr for Yellowstone Nationwide Park with nearly 4.5 million individuals visiting the favored vacation spot. In fact, that is large enterprise for a number of Montana cities that depend on tourism to make a residing and feed their households.

So hopes have been excessive in 2022, particularly with the park celebrating its one hundred and fiftieth Anniversary, in actual fact, everybody predicted that this yr would set an all-time report, sadly, that did not occur. In reality, we have been down nearly one-third from the yr earlier than.

Based on numbers that have been just lately launched, 2022 had the bottom attendance within the final six years. With simply over 3 million guests to the park this yr, that is down proper round 1.4 million from final yr. In reality, it is down greater than 300,000 from 2020, which was the Covid yr.

The explanation?

Effectively, there might definitely be a number of, however after all, the largest issue was resulting from the truth that we noticed report flooding again in June. In reality, the flooding was so unhealthy that these visiting the Park needed to be evacuated and the Park itself was closed for a number of days. When the Park re-opened there have been solely three entrances accessible because of the washed-out highways across the Gardiner space.

One thing else to think about is the excessive value of gas.  We spent a lot of the summer season with gasoline costs hovering round 5 {dollars} a gallon right here in Montana.  This, little question was an element when it got here to American trip plans, and whereas gasoline costs have come down, they’re nonetheless proper round 4 bucks a gallon.

So will Yellowstone Nationwide Park attendance bounce again in 2023? You will surely assume so, and for all of these people that depend upon tourism to stay, we definitely hope so.