Republic, Mo. - A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 233,000 visitors to Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield spent $13.8 million in communities near the park in 2019. That spending supported 218 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $17.8 million. An estimated 96 percent of visitor spending at Wilson’s Creek was from non-local visitors, according to newly-released 2019 Visitor Spending Report.
Statewide, an estimated 3.6 million visitors to national park sites in Missouri last year created a $419 million cumulative benefit (economic output) for local economies across the state.
“At Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, we welcome visitors from across the country and the globe," said Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Acting Superintendent Russ Runge. “National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, and it’s very important in our local economy as well. We depend on the partnership and support of our neighbors, so it’s great to give back by contributing to local communities."
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service. The report shows $21 billion of direct spending by 328 million park visitors in gateway communities (within 60 miles of a national park). This spending supported 341,000 jobs nationally; 278,000 of those jobs are found in gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $41.7 billion.
The National Park System includes 419 areas covering more than 84 million acres. Park units can be found in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Visitation to national parks in 2019 exceeded 300 million recreation visits for the fifth consecutive year.
Visitor spending in national parks increased by $800 million from 2018 to 2019, and the overall effect on the U.S economy grew by $1.6 billion. In the last five years, visitor spending has increased by $4.1 billion and the effect on the U.S. economy grew by $9.7 billion.
Nationally, lodging expenses accounted for the largest share of visitor spending in 2019, with about $7.1 billion total spent across the country, and about $4.4 million spent in and around Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. Food expenses were the second largest spending area, with visitors to restaurants spending $4.2 billion nationally and about $3.2 million locally. Visitors spent another $1.4 billion at grocery stores nationally and $778,000 million locally.
Report authors also produced an interactive tool that enables users to explore visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value added, and output effects by sector for national, state, and local economies. Users also can view year-by-year trend data.
To learn more about national parks in Missouri and how the National Park Service works with Missouri communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to https://www.nps.gov/state/mo/index.htm
Administered by the National Park Service, Wilson's Creek National Battlefield preserves the site of the first major battle of the Civil War in the West. The Confederate victory on Aug. 10, 1861, focused greater national attention on the war in Missouri, leading to greater federal military action.
Wilson’s Creek Administrative Office is located 10 miles southwest of Springfield, Missouri at 5242 S. State Hwy ZZ, Republic, Missouri 65738.
Tags: economic benefits tourism missouri midwest region midwest nps midwest national parks visitor spending visitor spending effects battlefields
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
