BILLINGS The Montana Special Olympics are set to kick off in Billings, bringing with them not only competition and community spirit, but a significant economic boost to the city.Watch the video below: This is the third consecut ive year Billings will host the state games before the event shifts to Missoula next summer.The event brings athletes, coaches and their families from across the state, generating excitement around the community.For Billings police officer Gabrielle DeNio, the fun kicked off Monday as she accompanied the Olympic Torch into the city."Like I said, it brings us a different type of happiness," DeNio said. "Watching them compete, they encourage themselves, they encourage each other, they cheer each other on even when they're competing against each other. There's never a sad face."The benefits extend beyond the competition, with local businesses feeling a boost from visitors coming to town. Cathy Cullen-Kuhr, who works for Erck Hotels, which operates three hotels in Billings, said rooms fill up fast every year the games come to town."This year we have teams in every one of our hotels, and not just the teams themselves but mom and dad and uncle Joe," Cullen-Kuhr said. "It's a great boost for our economy right now when we need it."Cullen-Kuhr said that the rush is felt all around the city."I'm pretty sure that majority of the Billings hotels have been booked for awhile," Cullen-Kuhr said.According to Visit Billings, the city saw a 3 percent increase in room demand during the week of the games in 2024, followed by a 6 percent jump in 2025.Aly Eggart, executive director of Visit Billings, said that hotel occupancy is just the beginning of the impact."When we look at the boost of occupancy in hotels, you definitely feel that impact at this time," Eggart said. "You'll see full restaurants, full hotels, lots of shopping, lots of energy in the city and I think that's what makes it really exciting."It's an exciting few days for athletes and business owners alike, which is why Cullen-Kuhr said she hopes the games return to Billings in the future."It's a great event to have here in Billings and I hope we get the chance to have it here again because it's just an amazing community event," Cullen-Kuhr said. ...read more read less