Tourism to War in the Pacific creates $18.2 million in Economic Benefits

Date: April 24, 2015
Contact: Superintendent Jim Richardson, 671-477-7278

A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows 266,191 visitors to War in the Pacific National Historical Park in 2014 spent $14.9 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 190 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $18.2 million.

"War in the Pacific NHP is proud to welcome visitors from around the world," said Superintendent Jim Richardson. "We are delighted to share with them the stories of the Pacific Theater of World War II and the diverse, unique natural resources throughout the park. In addition to War in the Pacific's contribution to the economy, American Memorial Park, an NPS affiliated area on Saipan, contributes significantly to that island's economy, even though it is not reflected in this study. National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy - returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service –and clearly it's a big factor in our local economy 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."

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 War in the Pacific National Historical Park visit https://www.nps.gov/wapa or to learn about American Memorial Park visit https://www.nps.gov/amme.

To learn more about the national parks on Guam and Saipan and how the National Park Service works with our communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to https://www.nps.gov/gu and https://www.nps.gov/mp.

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