The shutdown is going to bankrupt many businesses in the Yellowstone area. West Yellowstone and Gardiner Montana are almost exclusively Yellowstone tourist oriented. With only a partial opening of the park beginning in mid June businesses in those towns are going to lose nearly the entire season.
Even if the park begins to open June 15th, and that is not an etched in stone given, visitation is going to be very slow to return. A huge number of reservations have already been cancelled for the year. Yellowstone is not a spur of the moment vacation option, most people plan such a trip months in advance. A significant percentage of Yellowstone visitations are foreign travelers, it is doubtful any foreign visitations will occur this year. Many potential visitors will decide visiting the park when there is only limited services is not a good idea and will delay a Yellowstone trip into the future. Fears of the virus will keep still others at home.
Businesses that operate in the Gateway towns make almost all their revenues during the 5 months of May thru September. A loss of a significant part of those 5 months means they have no hope of recovery until over a year from now. Yet much of their overhead will continue. Rent and loans will still have to be paid. Property taxes aren't going to be forgiven or reduced. And even looking ahead to 2021 does anyone really feel comfortable betting that everything will be back the way it was before the pandemic?
How many people really have the financial assets to go an entire year without income and not even have the secure knowledge that things will return to normal after that year? For summer seasonal businesses across the country this shutdown will likely be a fatal blow.
