Lodging Revenues Decrease During 2020
The impacts of COVID on the state’s economy can be seen when looking at figures by the Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development regarding lodging facility use tax.
Statewide collections of the bed tax for Montana during 2020 was $30,783,419, which was 13 percent below that of the previous year. Regions that suffered the biggest impact as far as percentages were Southeast Montana at a 17 percent decrease, Southwest Montana at a 17 percent decrease and Central Montana at a 14 percent decrease.
Missouri River Country, which includes Wolf Point, Glasgow and Sidney among other Eastern Montana towns, decreased 8 percent during the year.
Roosevelt County’s gross lodging tax revenue for 2020 was $42,793. Revenue collected is 4 percent of the lodging price. The figure is 33 percent lower than the $63,524 amount in 2019. Revenue was down 47 percent during the second quarter of April 1, to June 30, 2020, and 33 percent during the third quarter of July 1 to Sept. 30, 2020 compared to 2019. Valley County’s 2020 total of $151,629 was down 13 percent from the 2019 total of $173,566. Valley County suffered a 36 percent decrease from April 1 to June 30 compared to the prior year, but enjoyed a 17 percent increase during Oct. 1, to Dec. 31, 2020, compared to 2019 figures.
Richland County had a 38 percent decrease in 2020 with a total of $102,724 compared to 2019’s figure of $164,983. The 2020 figures includes decreases of 47 percent during April 1-June 30, and 48 percent during July 1-Sept. 30.
Other Missouri River Country counties included Daniels with a 1 percent decrease, Phillips with a 10 percent decrease and Sheridan with a 6 percent decrease.
