Matthew Cohn, director of Travel Montana, said Wednesday his office has been taking 20 to 30 telephone calls each day from travelers concerned about the fire situation in Montana. And though tourists are a little worried, there s not been an epidemic of canceled vacations, Cohn said. I would assume that some people would cancel trips, he said. But normally, the situation is never as dramatic as people think it will be. Montana depends heavily on tourism, with nearly 10 million visitors to the state each year.
Summer is peak tourism season in Montana, accounting for nearly half of that total.
So the scourge of wildfires could damage businesses at a crucial time. For at least one recreation-based business, the fires have been a mixed blessing. Cookie, who wouldn t give his last time, the caretaker at Bearmouth Chalet near Clinton, said the bar is busier than usual, filled with loggers unable to work in the woods. As for our campground, we don t hardly have anyone in it. But they re headed home.