Economic Value of Local National Park

Date: February 29, 2012
Contact: Yvonne Menard, 805-658-5725

A new National Park Service report shows that in 2010 more than 277,500 visitors spent over $24 million in Channel Islands National Park and the nearby communities. That spending supported more than 300 jobs in the area.

"It is gratifying to know that one of the many benefits of Channel Islands National Park is to contribute to the local economy and the people and business owners in our community," said Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Russell Galipeau.

Most of the spending and jobs are related to lodging, food, and beverage service (52 percent) followed by other retail (29 percent), entertainment/amusements (10 percent), gas and local transportation (7 percent), and groceries (2 percent).

The figures are based on $12 billion of direct spending by 281 million visitors in 394 national parks and nearby communities and are included in an annual, peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis conducted by Dr. Daniel Stynes of Michigan State University for the National Park Service.

Across the United States local visitor spending added a total of $31 billion to the national economy and supported more than 258,000 jobs, an increase of $689 million and 11,500 jobs over 2009.

To download the report visit https://www.nature.nps.gov/socialscience/products.cfm#MGM
and click on Economic Benefits to Local Communities from National Park Visitation and Payroll, 2010. The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state.