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Contact: Ashley Waymouth, 501-620-6715
Hot Springs, Ark. - A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 2.1 million visitors to Hot Springs National Park in 2021 spent $154 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 2,200 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $208 million.
“National parks are a vital part of our nation’s economy, especially for park gateway communities where millions of visitors each year find a place to sleep, eat, and enjoy other local services and experiences that help drive a vibrant tourism and outdoor recreation industry,” said Superintendent Laura Miller. “At Hot Springs National Park, we are excited to share the story of this special place and all the experiences it provides. We also feature the park as a way to introduce our visitors to Arkansas and this part of the country and all that it offers.”
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists at the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. The report shows $20.5 billion of direct spending by more than 297 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 322,600 jobs nationally; 269,900 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $42.5 billion.
As for the economics of visitor spending, the lodging sector had the highest direct effects, with $7 billion in economic output nationally. The restaurants sector had the second greatest effects, with $4.2 billion in economic output nationally.
Report authors also produce an interactive tool that enables users to explore visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value added, and output effects by sector for national, state, and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available at the NPS Social Science Program webpage: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm
To learn more about national parks in Arkansas and how the National Park Service works with Arkansas communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/Arkansas
Last updated: July 20, 2022