Housing, tourism under the microscope at Big Sky expo

BIG SKY — Entrepreneurs and community leaders gathered here Tuesday to discuss tourism, labor shortages and housing needs in this booming resort town.
People met at the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce's Annual Business Expo and went over recent regional visitor statistics.

In 2015, more than 10 million people visited the Big Sky and Yellowstone areas, according to data from research firm Longwoods International.

Overnight visitors spent around $1,000 per trip, $250 more than the national average.

'You are really a national draw; people are coming and spending,' said Longwoods founder and CEO Bill Siegel. 'You have some fairly well-off people who are coming here, so economically this is good.'

For a community like Big Sky, this tourism data is a critical part of informing policy and marketing decisions, Siegel said. 'You have to provide the amenities that meet the interests of these groups,' he said.

[Full article here].