News Release

Tourism to Pipestone National Monument Created $6 Million in Economic Benefits in 2019 - Visitor Spending in Local Economy Highest Since Study Began

Date: June 22, 2020
Contact: Lauren Blacik, 507-825-5464

A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 77,500 visitors to Pipestone National Monument in 2019 spent $4.6 million in communities near the park. That spending supported over 60 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative economic output of $6 million to the local economy.

Lodging expenses accounted for the largest share of visitor spending, about $1.5 million in 2019. The restaurant sector had the next greatest effects with $1.1 million in economic output. Motor vehicle fuel expenditures were $607,000, with retail spending at $544,000.

Visitor spending in 2019 surpassed totals recorded since the inception of the study in 2012. Previously, the most successful years reflecting visitor spending were 2017 at $4.4 million and 2018 at $4.3 million. The cumulative economic outputs in these years were $5.7 million and $5.6 million, respectively.

The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the NPS. Nationwide, the report shows $21 billion of direct spending by more than 327 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 340,500 jobs nationally; 278,000 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $41.7 billion.

The report’s authors provide 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

Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, park staff are working hard to maintain visitor access to the monument while adhering to CDC guidelines and following state and local guidance. “We have been safely providing access to Pipestone National Monument throughout the pandemic, supporting individual and collective physical and mental wellness,” said Superintendent Lauren Blacik.

To learn more about national parks in Minnesota and how the NPS works with Minnesota communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/mn.

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 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.