Tourism to Homestead National Monument of America creates $2.7 million in Economic Benefits

Date: April 22, 2016

Beatrice, NE –A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 78,739 visitors to Homestead National Monument of America in 2015 spent $2.5 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 40 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $2.7 million.

"Homestead welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world," said Superintendent Mark Engler. "We are delighted to share the story of this place and the experiences it provides. We also feature the park 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. Community partnership and support was in evidence with the release of the new Nebraska quarter featuring Homestead National Monument of America. Numerous local businesses and organizations helped promote the new quarter and 4,000 visitors joined in the quarter release festivities. Community partnerships and support continue strong in this year of Centennial of the National Park Service celebrations."

The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service. The report shows $16.9 billion of direct spending by 307.2 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 295,000 jobs nationally;252,000 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $32 billion.

According to the 2015 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging (31.1 percent) followed by food and beverages (20.2 percent), gas and oil (11.8 percent), admissions and fees (10.2 percent) and souvenirs and other expenses (9.8 percent).

To download the report visitgo.nps.gov/vse.

The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state.

To learn more about national parks in Nebraska and how the National Park Service works with Nebraska communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go towww.nps.gov/NEBRASKA.

Remember, Homestead National Monument of America has an exciting schedule of events planned for 2016. Keep up with the latest information by following us on Twitter (HomesteadNM), Facebook (Homestead National Monument of America), and Instagram (HomesteadNPS).

Homestead National Monument of America is a unit of the National Park Service located four miles west of Beatrice, Nebraska and 45 miles south of Lincoln. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.Monday through Friday, and9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Saturdayand Sunday.  Admission is free of charge. For additional information, please call 402-223-3514 or visit https://www.nps.gov/home/.