Tourism in Bay Area Park Sites boasts economy

Date: April 22, 2015
Contact: Lynn Cullivan, 415-561-7006
Contact: Alexandra Picavet, 415-786-8021
Contact: Tom Leatherman, 925-838-0249 x6301

San Francisco, CA –A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that the 24,513,179 visitors to National Park Service sites in the San Francisco Bay Area during 2014 spent $719,613.900 in surrounding communities as part of those visits. That spending supported more than 9,200 local jobs associated with the parks, and had a cumulative benefit to local economies of $872,138,900.

The San Francisco Bay Area has ten parks: Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site, Fort Point National Historic Site, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, John Muir National Historic Site, Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, Muir Woods National Monument, Point Reyes National Seashore, Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

"The National Park Service welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world," said San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Superintendent Kevin Hendricks. "We are delighted to share the special stories and themes of each NPS site, and offer a wide variety of recreational and learning experiences for folks of all ages. 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 local economies as well. We appreciate the partnership and support of our neighbors and are glad to be able to give back by helping to sustain local communities while preserving and celebrating the Bay Area's rich cultural heritage and spectacular natural resources."

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 visithttps://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 California and how the National Park Service works with California communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go towww.nps.gov/california.