The Institute for Tourism & Recreation Research at the University of Montana conducts travel and recreation research in Montana, with a primary focus on the nonresident travel survey conducted throughout the state. The Institute produces widely used statewide estimates of total nonresident visitation and travel expenditures, visitor characteristics in the state each year, and annual estimate of the economic contribution of nonresident travel to Montana's economy. The research and creative scholarship by the faculty of the Institute for Tourism & Recreation Research includes studies into the social and environmental impacts of tourism; regional and community tourism planning and development; niche market studies; geotourism; and outdoor recreation.