Can American Tourists Keep Yellowstone Afloat?

16 hours ago 1

Summertime is high season for many of the U.S. National Parks, such as Yellowstone, which sits in Wyoming and parts of Montana and Idaho. Many surrounding communities, such as West Yellowstone, Mont., are heavily reliant on park tourism, including everything from hotels and motels to souvenir shops and restaurants. And even cities that are further afield, such as Jackson and Cody, Wyo, can be affected by tourism trends.

WyoFile recently reported that the International Trade Administration has said that overseas travel to the U.S. is down a dramatic 11.6% in March, reflecting jitters over Trump administration tariffs, stock market turmoil, and foreign bitterness toward the country’s political rhetoric. Compared to the same month last year, the figure does not reflect travelers from Canada or Mexico.

In its 2024 report, the Wyoming Office of Tourism noted that the preliminary numbers on the economic impact of travel in the state were $4.9 billion and represented 33,610 jobs. WOT also noted its international focus, saying, “WOT has made global investments through marketing campaigns, direct sales opportunities through sales mission/tradeshows, in-market representation, partnerships with organizations such as Brand USA, participation in the Great American West consortium and other opportunities dedicated to increasing international visitation to the state.”

In a recent email, Yellowstone National Park Lodges General Manager Mike Keller acknowledged that staffing uncertainty has generated worries.

“We are here to assure you that our operations are unaffected, and we are ready to welcome you to a memorable Yellowstone experience this spring and summer,” he said. “The park remains open, the views are as breathtaking as ever, the wildlife is flourishing, and the sense of wonder that Yellowstone National Park evokes is unchanging and eternal.”

However, local chambers of commerce are seeing a dip—but not an insurmountable one. The hope is that more Americans, leery themselves about traveling overseas, may fill in many of the gaps created by lessening foreign demand.

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