National Park Service Tourism Creates 10 Million in Local Economic Benefit

Date: February 27, 2013

Part of $30 billion impact that supports 252,000 jobs nationwide

COCHISE COUNTY, AZ- A new National Park Service (NPS) report for 2011 shows that the 198,646 visitors to the three Southeast Arizona Group NPS units spent $10,053,000 in communities surrounding the park. The group includes Chiricahua National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, and Fort Bowie National Historic Site. This spending also supported 138 jobs in the local area.

"We are fortunate to have three distinct National Park Service sites in Cochise County. In addition to preserving some spectacular scenery, they are also wonderful places to learn about America's stories and spend time reflecting on our past, present, and future," said group superintendent H. Lane Baker. "We attract visitors from across the US and around the world that come here to experience the parks and also spend time and money enjoying the services provided by our neighboring communities and getting to know this amazing part of the country. The National Park Service is proud to have been entrusted with the care of our nation's most treasured places and delighted that the visitors we welcome generate significant contributions to the local, state, and national economy."

The information on the Southeast Arizona Group of parks is part of a peer-reviewed spending analysis of national park visitors across the country conducted by Michigan State University for the NPS. For 2011, that report shows $13 billion of direct spending by 279 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. That visitor spending had a $30 billion impact on the entire U.S. economy and supported 252,000 jobs nationwide.

Most visitor spending supports jobs in lodging, food, and beverage service (63 percent) followed by recreation and entertainment (17 percent), other retail (11 percent), transportation and fuel (7 percent), and wholesale and manufacturing (2 percent).

To download the report visit www.nature.nps.gov/ socialscience/products.cfm#MGM  and click on Economic Benefits to Local Communities from National Park Visitation, 2011.

The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state. To learn more about national parks in Arizona and how the NPS works withcommunities to preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide local recreation opportunities, go to www.nps.gov/arizona.