Date: February 5, 2009
Contact: Nancy Gray, (865) 436-1208
Four percent fewer visitors traveled to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Calendar Year 2008 when compared to the same period in 2007. During a year of soaring automotive fuel prices and a highly-publicized faltering economy, the Park received 9,044,010 visitors through its three main entrances and outlying areas throughout Tennessee and North Carolina in 2008. Even with the drop in 2008 visitation, the Park remained the most visited national park in the National Park System, helping to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in economic benefit to local communities from visitor spending.
In December 2008, the latest economic impact analysis of visitor spending habits was issued by the National Park Service. The current report (available at http://web4.canr.msu.edu/mgm2/), which analyzed 2007 visitor statistics, indicated that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park continued to generate far more visitor spending than any of the other 390 units in the National Park System. The study estimated that the 9.4 million Great Smoky Mountains National Park visitors in 2007 spent more than $718 million within 50 miles of the Park in North Carolina and Tennessee communities on such amenities as meals, lodging, gas, and amusements. The study also estimated that over 13,000 local jobs were supported by visitor spending as a direct result of the park’s presence and operation.
"As the park is integrally linked to tourism activities in the surrounding areas, together we were more fortunate than other tourism counterparts during the economic slowdown. Even with the 328,000 fewer visitors reported in 2008, the benefits to the local communities are still significant," said Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. The economic advantages derived from visitors to this area are important, but the national park is much more than an economic engine. The park is a special place that preserves a piece of our nation’s heritage and some of the world’s most remarkable natural resources for people to enjoy. It’s a gift that keeps on giving".
A review of monthly entries showed declines every month except August, October, and December. The largest decline at 14 percent was in September which accounted for more than a third of the year’s decrease. September’s significant drop was attributed to impacts from hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico which led to record high petroleum prices and fuel supply shortages at gas stations in the East.
All of the park’s main entrances saw declines in their year-to-date tallies. Gatlinburg, Tenn., was down 6 percent; Townsend, Tenn., was down 5 percent and Cherokee, N.C.; was down by 11 percent. While the main entrances were consistently down throughout the year, the number of visitors entering the park through its outlying areas (a combined tally of 10-plus lesser-used entrances) mainly showed monthly increases, but not enough to offset the declines recorded at the most popular gateway entrances.
The park’s Public Use Report also showed a decrease in frontcountry camping, with approximately 285,319 camper nights in 2008 compared with about 324,339 camper nights in 2007.
Backcountry camping, however, was up about 2 percent over 2007. Approximately 72,381 camper nights were reported in 2008 compared with 70,215 in 2007.
Click for a monthly breakdown of 2008 visitation.
