News Release

Tourism to Big Bend National Park contributes over $56 million to local economy.

Park visitors bring significant economic benefit to the Big Bend region.

News Release Date: August 28, 2024

Contact: Tom VandenBerg

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TX – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that in 2023, 509 thousand park visitors spent an estimated $48.7 million in local gateway regions while visiting Big Bend National Park and Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River. These expenditures supported a total of 661 jobs, $18.8 million in labor income, $29.8 million in value added, and $56.4 million in economic output in local gateway economies surrounding Big Bend National Park.

“I’m so proud that our parks and the stories we tell make a lasting impact on more than 300 million visitors a year,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “And I’m just as proud to see those visitors making positive impacts of their own, by supporting local economies and jobs in every state in the country.”

“People from all over the world travel to Big Bend National Park and Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River to camp, hike, birdwatch, float, and explore this special place. They end up supporting the U.S. and local economies along the way,” said Superintendent Anjna O’Connor. “We’re proud that Big Bend supports jobs and generates significant revenue in local communities.”

The NPS report, 2023 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, finds that 325.5 million visitors spent $26.4 billion in communities near national parks. This spending supported 415,400 jobs, provided $19.4 billion in labor income and $55.6 in economic output to the U.S. economy. The lodging sector had the highest direct contributions with $9.9 billion in economic output and 89,200 jobs. The restaurants received the next greatest direct contributions with $5.2 billion in economic output and 68,600 jobs.

An interactive tool is available to explore visitor spending, jobs, labor income, and total economic contribution by sector for national, state and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available on the NPS Social Science webpage: www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm  

To learn more about national parks in Texas and how the National Park Service works with Texas communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/texas.