National Park Tourism to Cochise County Creates 8 Million Dollars in Economic Benefit

Date: March 3, 2014
Contact: Julena Campbell, 520-678-6748

COCHISE COUNTY, AZ – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 146,704 visitors to the three parks in Cochise County spent $8,001,500 in communities near the parks in 2012. That spending supported 107 jobs in the local area. The NPS sites in Cochise County are managed as the "Southeast Arizona Group" and include Chiricahua National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, and Fort Bowie National Historic Site.

"The three Southeast Arizona Group parks are proud to welcome visitors from across the country and around the world," said superintendent H. Lane Baker. "We are delighted to share the story of these places and the experiences they provide and to use the parks 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."

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 NPS. 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 Arizona and how the National Park Service works with Arizona communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/arizona.

 ***NOTE TO FILM EDITORS: National Park Service B-roll video footage is available at www.nps.gov/news/econ_b-roll.htm