The outlook is positive overall for travel in Montana, especially in the near future, thanks to low unemployment and inflation, as well as growth in both personal consumption and real disposable income, ITRR Director Norma Nickerson said.

Nickerson said that since the United States is a country where people have the money for luxury items such as travel, Americans are traveling more, are traveling by plane more than in the past, and are traveling to destinations further away.

However, long-term caution is indicated by rising crude oil prices and Americans’ habit of spending beyond their means, both of which suggest a future dampening of the economy.

The Montana Vision Outlook 2000 was published in the February issue of ITRR’s newsletter. It is available at no charge on the Web at http://www.forestry.umt.edu/itrr.