Study Shows How Spending at National Parks Supports jobs, Local Economies

Date: March 5, 2012
Contact: David Malone, 315.568.2991 ext. 3002

Seneca Falls, NY - A recent report issued by the National Park Service indicates that in 2010, visitors to Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, New York, spent $623,000 while traveling in central New York and supported 7 local jobs. This peer-reviewed study reveals that in addition to serving as sites of cultural and recreational importance, National Park sites offer significant economic benefits for communities.

The research for the report, which was conducted by Dr. Daniel Stynes of Michigan State University, issued economic figures by state and by individual park site. According to the data, more than 281 million people visited America's National Parks in 2010, pumping over $31 billion into local economies and supporting 258,000 jobs. New York State's 32 National Park sites helped to generate over $490 million in spending and supported 5,780 jobs.

"Women's Rights National Historical Park interprets the history of the 1848 First Women's Rights Convention, and the park is fundamentally intertwined with our local communities through that history," said Park Superintendent Tammy Duchesne. "This report reminds us that there is an important economic as well as cultural dimension to that relationship. We are proud to have resources in Seneca Falls and Waterloo and to be part of the Finger Lakes community."

The economic impact report, which includes charts detailing visitor spending by state and by park, can be found here.

For more information about Women's Rights National Historical Park, please call 315.568.0024.

You can also follow the park's social media sites for Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/womensrightsnps) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/WomensRightsNPS) to learn more about our upcoming events and programs.