News Release

Tourism to Ozark National Scenic Riverways creates $73,856,000 in Economic Benefits

Visitors travel from all over the country and from right down the road to experience the beautiful scenery and refreshing waters of the park, like this summer crowd enjoying Rocky Falls.

NPS Photo

News Release Date: June 24, 2022

Contact: Dena Matteson, [phone]

VAN BUREN, Mo. – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 1,328,773 visitors to Ozark National Scenic Riverways in 2021 spent $64,433,000 in communities near the park. That spending supported 886 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $73,856,000. 

“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 and eat, hire outfitters and guides and make use of other local services that help drive a vibrant tourism and outdoor recreation industry,” said Superintendent Jason Lott. “At Ozark National Scenic Riverways, we are excited 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.” 

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 was 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 Missouri and how the National Park Service works with Missouri communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to http://www.nps.gov/missouri. 

www.nps.gov/ozar

Ozark National Scenic Riverways preserves 134 miles of the free-flowing Current and Jacks Fork rivers, the surrounding resources, and the unique cultural heritage of the Ozark people.  Learn more at www.nps.gov/ozar.  Find us on Facebook @ozarkriverways and on Instagram @ozarkriverwaysnps.

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 423 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.