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Contact: Dan Buckley, 208-527-1335 Arco, Idaho –In 2014, park visitors spent an estimated $7.2 Million in local gateway regions while visiting Craters of the Moon National Monument &Preserve. These expenditures supported a total of 112 jobs, $2.6 Million in labor income, $4.3 Million in value added, and $8.1 Million in economic output in local gateway economies surrounding Craters of The Moon National Monument &Preserve.In 2013, Craters of the Moon contributed $6.6 million and 94 jobs. The increase from 2013 to 2014 can be attributed to 15,000 more visitors in 2014. "Craters of the Moon is proud to welcome visitors from across the country and around the world," said superintendent Dan Buckley. "We continue to work with local communities and the state of Idaho Tourism to attract more visitors to the great state of Idaho. 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 National Park Service. The report shows $15.7 billion of direct spending by 292 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported more than 277,000 jobs nationally, $10.3 billion in labor income, $17.1 billion in value added, and $29.7 billion in output. According to the 2014 economic analysis, the lodging sector saw the highest direct contributions with 48 thousand jobs and $4.8 billion in output directly contributed to local gateway economies nationally. The sector with the next greatest direct contributions was restaurants and bars, with 60 thousand jobs and $3.2 billion in output directly contributed to local gateway economies nationally. To download the report visit https://www.nature.nps.gov/socialscience/index.cfm New this year, results from the Visitor Spending Effects report series are available online via an interactive tool. Users can explore current year visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value added, and output effects by sector for national, state, and local economies. This interactive tool is available via the NPS Social Science Program webpage at 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 Idaho and how the National Park Service works with Idaho communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/idaho. |
Last updated: April 24, 2015