A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that more than 3.5 million visitors to Yellowstone National Park in 2014 spent $421 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 6,662 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $543.7 million.
“Yellowstone National Park welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world," said acting Superintendent Steve Iobst. “National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service, and it’s a big factor in our local economy as well. We appreciate the partnership and support of our gateway communities, regional tourism organizations and the states of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, and are glad to be able to give back by helping to sustain local communities."
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by U.S. Geological Survey economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Christopher Huber and National Park Service economist Lynne Koontz. The report shows $15.7 billion of direct spending by 292.8 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 277,000 jobs nationally; 235,600 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $29.7 billion.
According to the 2014 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging (30.6 percent) followed by food and beverages (20.3 percent), gas and oil (11.9 percent), admissions and fees (10.2 percent) and souvenirs and other expenses (9.9 percent).
To download the report, visit https://www.nature.nps.gov/socialscience/economics.cfm.
The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state.
To learn more about national parks in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho and how the National Park Service works with communities in those states to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/wyoming, www.nps.gov/montana and www.nps.gov/idaho.
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About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 407 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
