News Release

National park tourism in California contributes $5.1 billion to state economy

Date: September 4, 2024
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SAN FRANCISCO – The National Park Service reports that 36.2 million visitors to the 28 national parks in California spent $3.2 billion in the state in 2023. That spending supported 39,678 jobs and had a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $5.1 billion.

“I’m so proud that our parks and the stories we tell make a lasting impact on more than 300 million visitors a year,” National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said. “And I’m just as proud to see those visitors making positive impacts of their own, by supporting local economies and jobs in every state in the country.”  

“Because California is so large and diverse, we are fortunate to have many incredible parks, offering a wide range of natural, historical, and cultural experiences,” said David Szymanski, regional director for the National Park Service’s Pacific West parks. “I invite you to explore as many parks here as you can, as well as the equally diverse and welcoming communities around them.” 

The National Park Service finds that visitors spent $26.4 billion in communities near national parks across the country. This spending supported 415,400 jobs and provided $19.4 billion in labor income and $55.6 billion in economic output to the U.S. economy. The lodging sector had the highest direct contributions with $9.9 billion in economic output and 89,200 jobs. Restaurants received the next greatest direct contributions with $5.2 billion in economic output and 68,600 jobs.

An interactive tool 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 nps.gov.

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

nps.gov 

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 430+ 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.