Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-07-27
Earlv Season Travel Count
Shows Big Gains In Parks

| The efforts of the state highway
commission to extend courteous treat
ment to Montana guests has helped
to give the state a fine reputation fol
hospitality. The port of entry stations
maintained on every highway leading
into Montana are not designed to reg
lister the visitor, nor to search his lug
gage for insect pests, but to extenc
cordial welcome and to provide in
formation Historical markers alone
our highways have been described as
the most unique Of their type" In
the nation. AS result of the courteous
attitude of Montanans, many tourists
become "repeaters" and make their va
cation In Montana an annual event.
Good Fields
Study Of the figures released from
Glacier and Yellowstone national
parks at the annual advertising meet
ing of Montanans, Inc, in Butte last
fan revealed that the field closer to
Montana had a great many POSSIBLE
tiles for increasing the miles Travelled
in Montana Wyoming for instance,
put 6,476 cars into Yellowstone and
only 1893 into Glacier North Dakota
sent 1898 into Yellowstone and 799
into Gacier. South Dakota cars In
Yellowstone numbered 1850 and only
189 in Glacier
As a result of the findings, a rep
resentative of Montanans, Inc, visited
adjoining states this spring distribut-
ing Montana literature TO chambers
of commerce, touring bureaus, etc,
and placed newspaper mats and pub
licity. There is no doubt that a portion
Of the increase noted in Yellowstone
and Glacier may be attributed to this
activity.
Montana has been widely publicized
this year through the work of the Pa
cffic Northwest Tourist association.
This organization Is composed Of the
states Of Oregon, Washington, Idaho,
North Dakota and the provinces OF Al
berta and Saskatchewan. The Pacific
northwest has been represented a.
four successful travel shows at Detroit,
Indianapolis, Chicago and Cincinnati
early this year. An attendance fee was
charged at these shows to eliminate
the shoppers. This year over 1000
we're made into this part Of
the country Contact men have been
sent through the United States, visit
ing travel agencies and newspapers,
to distribute literature and furnish In
formation concerning the northwest.
This Is the fourth year a tour has
been conducted through the northwest
to acuuaint travel directors with the
oltAtCo ClAlnA c1IA ~ VII $1,000
This wears 3.861-mile trip included
radio station managers and some OF
the country's leading travel editors
and directors
Big Income
These are some Of the phases OF
the advertising program designed TO
bring Montana to the attention Of the
travelling public Today the tourist IN
dnstry Is second only to agriculture IN
this state. The United States travel
bureau published figures last year TO
the effect that If annual tourist ex-
Denditures were evenly divided among
the population of Montana, each In
dividual would receive 1914. Travel
has Yielded an average OF $27, $4,000
In Montana since 1884. Those who have
studied the travel industry believe
that It Is not an impossible dream
that this figure can be increased 70
300 600 600 annually.
The competition Is keen. Thirty-five
states now have legislative appropr1-
atoms Tor state advertising, varying
Fror1 a few thousand dollars 70 hun
dreds OF thousands OF dollars.