Dinosaur National Monument equals visitors, money and jobs for local economy

Visitors wander by the fossil wall at the Quarry Exhibit Hall at Dinosaur National Monument.
Visitors wander by the fossil wall at the Quarry Exhibit Hall at Dinosaur National Monument.

NPS

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News Release Date: February 28, 2012

Contact: Dan Johnson, (435) 781-7702

Dinosaur National Monument (CO, UT) - A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 197,812 visitors spent $6,717,000 in Dinosaur National Monument and communities near the Monument in 2010. That spending supported 77 jobs in the local area.

"The people and the business owners in communities near national parks have always known their economic value," park superintendent Mary Risser said. "Dinosaur National Monument serves as a fuel for the engine that drives our local economy. With the completion of the new visitor center and re-opening of the exhibit hall, we anticipate even more visitation in 2012. Our numbers have already increased by over 18,000 visitors since the two buildings opened in early fall 2011."

Most of the spending/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 U.S, 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 go to this webpage 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.



Last updated: February 24, 2015

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4545 Hwy 40
Dinosaur, CO 81610

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435 781-7700

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