News Release

National Park Tourism in Arizona contributes $1.88 billion to state economy

Date: August 21, 2023
Contact: [e-mail]

DENVER, Colo.– A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 10,276,078 visitors to national parks in Arizona spent $1,151,700,000 in the state in 2022. That spending resulted in 16,418 jobs and had a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $1,880,100,000.

“Since 1916, the National Park Service has been entrusted with the care of our national parks. With the help of volunteers and partners, we safeguard these special places and share their stories with more than 300 million visitors every year. The impact of tourism to national parks is undeniable: bringing jobs and revenue to communities in every state in the country and making national parks an essential driver to the national economy,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams.

“Visitors in 2022 to national parks in Arizona spent $1,151,700,000 and supported 16,418 jobs in local communities,” said Regional Director Kate Hammond. “Every park in the state offers unique experiences, from learning about history up-close to diverse outdoor recreational opportunities. There’s something for everyone to see and enjoy.”
 

The national parks in Arizona are:   

Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail   

Canyon De Chelly National Monument   

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument   

Chiricahua National Monument   

Coronado National Memorial   

Fort Bowie National Historic Site   

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area   

Grand Canyon National Park   

Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument   

Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site   

Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail   

Lake Mead National Recreation Area   

Montezuma Castle National Monument   

Navajo National Monument   

Old Spanish National Historic Trail   

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument   

Petrified Forest National Park   

Pipe Spring National Monument   

Saguaro National Park   

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument   

Tonto National Monument    

Tumacácori National Historical Park   

Tuzigoot National Monument   

Walnut Canyon National Monument   

Wupatki National Monument  

The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists at the National Park Service. The report shows $23.9 billion of direct spending by nearly 312 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 378,400 jobs nationally; 314,600 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $50.3 billion.

As for the economics of visitor spending, the lodging sector had the highest direct effects, with $9 billion in economic output nationally. The restaurants sector was had the second greatest effects, with $4.6 billion in economic output nationally.

Report authors also produced 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: Visitor Spending Effects - Economic Contributions of National Park Visitor Spending - Social Science (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

To learn more about national parks in Arizona and how the National Park Service works with Arizona communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to Arizona (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).
 

nps.gov

More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 425 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.