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Contact: John Golda, 415-464-5143
Point Reyes Station, California – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that the 2.43 million visitors to Point Reyes National Seashore in 2014 spent more than $102 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 1,322 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy in excess of $128 million. "Parks and open spaces play a leading role in our quality of life here in the Bay Area. Our parks are good for the body, good for the soul, and good for the local economy," said Superintendent Cicely Muldoon. "At Point Reyes National Seashore we are proud to join with the local community in welcoming visitors to experience the extraordinary human heritage and wild places preserved here in West Marin. As we look forward to the National Park Service Centennial in 2016, we invite everyone to 'Find Your Park' and explore Point Reyes," said Cicely Muldoon. Point Reyes National Seashore protects an array of natural and cultural resources, 80 miles of wild coastline and working beef and dairy ranches. The same report shows that NPS tourism is a significant driver in the national economy—it returns $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service. That tourism plays a big role in local economies as well. National park visitors support many local businesses, including lodging, restaurants, outfitters, and shops. When looking at all the NPS sites in the San Francisco Bay Area, the NPS report shows that the 24.5 million visitors to spent more than $719 million in surrounding communities. In addition to Point Reyes National Seashore, the San Francisco Bay Area's National Park Service sites include: Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site, Fort Point National Historic Site, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, John Muir National Historic Site, Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, Muir Woods National Monument, Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, Rosie the Riveter / WWII Home Front National Historical Park, and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. That spending supported 9,212 local jobs and had a cumulative benefit of in excess of $872 million to local communities. The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by U.S. Geological Survey economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Christopher Huber and National Park Service economist Lynne Koontz. The report shows $15.7 billion of direct spending by 292.8 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 277,000 jobs nationally; 235,600 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $29.7 billion. According to the 2014 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging (30.6 percent) followed by food and beverages (20.3 percent), gas and oil (11.9 percent), admissions and fees (10.2 percent), and souvenirs and other expenses (9.9 percent). To download the report visit https://www.nature.nps.gov/socialscience/economics.cfm. The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state. 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, go to https://www.nps.gov/california. To learn more about the Find Your Park Campaign, visit http://www.findyourpark.com. -NPS- |
Last updated: April 23, 2015