Great Plains Dinosaur Museum draws over 2,300 in 2015

Visitation numbers at GPDM were up in 2015 with over 2300 visitors (up 300 from previous year) with visitors from across the world. GPDM Staff and Board Member, Dixie Stordahl reported at the close of season as follows:

50% were from Montana. Just less than 10% were from Minnesota and Washington and we have visitors from every state except Connecticut! Six Canadian Provinces were represented: Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec.

Other Countries included Germany, Belgium, UK, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Mexico, Thailand, Australia and Costa Rica. Total visitation: 2347

According to the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research (ITRR), non-resident visitors spent over $3.9 billion in Montana in 2014. Traveler spending directly supports gas stations, restaurants, retail stores, hotels, state parks, outfitters and many other businesses. Money spent by those traveling to and through Montana has an effect not only on the businesses where spending occurs, but it ripples throughout the state and local economy as well.

Research reports that resident travelers spend an average of $95 per day and nonresident daily expenditures is $157. In 2014, the total average spending in Missouri River Country by non resident visitors totaled $140.4 million. Direct, Indirect and Induced impacts include a combined 1,180 # of jobs in the region with over $31,000,000 in employee compensation and $5,610,000 in proprietor income. Locally the impact of tourism is more difficult to track but using assumptions that 1/2 of the visitors at GPDM (or 1,173 travelers) were non residents that spent $157 per day, - the local direct impact is over $184,000.

While GPDM can’t assure that all those travelers stayed overnight in Malta or Phillips County, but combined with program participants and scientists, they are confident that GPDM has a positive effect on the local economy.

In popularity, GPDM is rated excellent with very high reviews with the online travel site, Trip Advisor. A recent online post stated: We came to Montana for the experience of fossil hunting and discovered that the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum has a dig program designed for children (one of the only ones we could find). In my daughter's words "it was one of my most favorite things I have ever done. I liked looking for and cleaning the fossils. I liked the digging at the dig site, that was awesome..it was one of my most favorite things in the whole world".

Staff and Board members at GPDM remind everyone that they are a charitable nonprofit and donations can be tax deductible. They are currently conducting their annual membership drive which will continue in early 2016. For more information, visit their website http://www.greatplainsdinosaur.org or contact Membership Committee members Anne Boothe, Mardy Demarais or any board member.