Tourism to Charleston area National Park sites creates $47,694,900 in Economic Benefit

Date: March 3, 2014
Contact: Bill Martin, [phone] x 11

A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 886,341 visitors to Fort Sumter National Monument and Charles Pinckney National Historic Site in 2012 spent nearly $48 million in communities near the parks. That spending supported 684 jobs in the local area.

"Fort Sumter National Monument and Charles Pinckney National Historic Site are proud to welcome visitors from across the country and around the world," said Superintendent Tim Stone. "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 Charleston area National Park sites are located in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and Sullivan's Island, South Carolina. They protect and preserve some of the most historic sites in American history – dating from the Colonial era through World War II.

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 South Carolina and how the National Park Service works with South Carolina communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/state/sc.