Tourism to Point Reyes National Seashore and Other San Francisco Bay Area National Parks Creates $897,889,400 in Economic Benefits

Date: April 26, 2016
Contact: John Golda, 415-464-5143

Report Shows Visitor Spending Supports 9,389 Jobs in Local Economy

Point Reyes Station, California – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that in 2015, Point Reyes National Seashore attracted 2,501,106 visitors with $107,703,100 of visitor spending that supported 1,378 local jobs with a $135,501,400 contribution to the local economy.

"National parks are good for body, soul, and as this report demonstrates, our local economy," said Point Reyes National Seashore Superintendent Cicely Muldoon. "The Bay Area's national parks represent an extraordinary array of landscapes and stories that draw visitors from around the country and around the world. The Bay Area communities that surround these places play a starring role in welcoming visitors to these incredible national treasures. We're glad to be a supportive part of our communities."

During 2015, the 24,376,931 visitors to San Francisco Bay Area National Park Service sites spent $735,470,400 in the communities near the parks. That spending supported 9,389 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $897,889,400. The San Francisco Bay Area has ten parks: 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.

The NPS 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.

peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service. The report shows $16.9 billion of direct spending by 307.2 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 295,000 jobs nationally; 252,000 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $32 billion.

According to the 2015 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging (31.1 percent) followed by food and beverages (20.2 percent), gas and oil (11.8 percent), admissions and fees (10.2 percent) and souvenirs and other expenses (9.8 percent).

There is an interactive tool for the report that can be used to explore current year 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: go.nps.gov/vse.

The report includes information about 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.

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