Officials with Glacier National Park say that a struggling national economy combined with high fuel prices are effecting tourism in the region this year.
The National Park Service reports that visits to Glacier National Park were down 8.6% for the first seven months of 2008.
Following a drop in July of 2.5%, the park has had 1.9 million visitors this year, down from 1.18 million for the first seven months of 2007.
The decline was sharpest in June, with 3.76% fewer visitors for the month, and 14% fewer visitors for the first six months of the year.
The Glacier Country Executive Director says this year's later-than-usual opening of the Going-to-the-Sun Road on July 2nd also had an impact on the decrease in visitors stopping by the park.
Fewer visitors to Glacier means less money for the tourism industry in Montana.
The Glacier Country Region Tourism Commission estimates 40,000 jobs across the state are supported by the Tourism Industry.
But with high gas prices, some locals have been taking up activities closer to home.
Jelly Stone Park just outside of Missoula says while they're seeing smaller RV's this year compared to last, the numbers of visitors aren't too much different.
"I think people either prepare it for their trip out here or else they're enjoying the scenery and decide to stay a little longer" said Inge Matteucci with Jellystone.
The University of Montana's Interim Director of the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research says that this year more foreigners, especially Canadians, are visiting Montana's tourist attractions because of the weak US dollar.
