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Contact: Eric Leonard, 229 924-0343, ext. 201
Report shows visitor spending supports 99 jobs in local economy ANDERSONVILLE, Georgia – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 122,883 visitors to Andersonville National Historic Site in 2012 spent $6.6 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 99 jobs in the local area. "Andersonville National Historic Site is proud to welcome visitors from across the country and around the world," said Superintendent Brad Bennett. "We are delighted to share the story of this place and the experiences it provides and to use the park as a way to introduce our visitors to this part of the country and all that it offers. 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 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." Bennett continued, "A visit to Andersonville provides visitors a value beyond dollars and cents. The stories of courage and sacrifice contained in the prisoner of war experience highlight the continued cost of safeguarding freedom. Visitors often remark that they've planned to visit the park for years, and we look forward to sustained interest through the next two years of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and then beyond to the fiftieth anniversary of the Vietnam War and the one hundredth anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016." The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by U.S. Geological Survey economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Christopher Huber and Lynne Koontz for the National Park Service. The report shows $14.7 billion of direct spending by 283 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 243,000 jobs nationally, with 201,000 jobs found in these gateway communities, and had a cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy of $26.75 billion. According to the report most visitor spending supports jobs in restaurants, grocery and convenience stores (39 percent), hotels, motels and B&Bs (27 percent), and other amusement and recreation (20 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 national parks in state name and how the National Park Service works with state name communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/georgia. Andersonville National Historic Site is located 10 miles south of Oglethorpe, GA and 10 miles northeast of Americus, GA on Georgia Highway 49. The national park features the National Prisoner of War Museum, Andersonville National Cemetery and the site of the historic Civil War prison, Camp Sumter. Andersonville National Historic Site is the only national park within the National Park System to serve as a memorial to all American prisoners of war. Park grounds are open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The National Prisoner of War Museum is open 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily. Admission is free. For more information on the park, call 229 924-0343, or visit at www.nps.gov/ande/ Visitus on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AndersonvilleNPS, Twitter www.twitter.com/andeNHS NPS About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 401 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov Visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice. |
Last updated: April 14, 2015