News Release

Tourism to San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Creates Over $130 Million in Economic Benefits

San Antonio Missions NHP welcomed 1,208,104 visitors to the park in 2018.

Photo by Artists-in-Residence Jenny & James Tarpley of JT FineArt. NPS Photo.

News Release Date: June 17, 2019

Contact: Lauren Gurniewicz

San Antonio, Texas – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 1,208,104 visitors to San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in 2018 spent $87,957,000 in communities near the park. That spending supported 1,295 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $130,985,000. 
 “San Antonio Missions National Historical Park welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world,” said Superintendent Mardi Arce.  “We are delighted 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 south Texas and all that it offers. National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service, and it’s a big factor in our local economy in San Antonio as well. We appreciate the partnership and support of our neighbors and are glad to be able to give back by helping to sustain local communities.”
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Egan Cornachione of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service. The report shows $20.2 billion of direct spending by more than 318 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 329,000 jobs nationally; 268,000 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $40.1 billion.
Lodging expenses account for the largest share of visitor spending, about $6.8 billion in 2018. Food expenses are the second largest spending area and visitors spent $4 billion in restaurants and bars and another $1.4 billion at grocery and convenience stores.

Visitor spending on lodging supported more than 58,000 jobs and more than 61,000 jobs in restaurants. Visitor spending in the recreation industries supported more than 28,000 jobs and spending in retail supported more than 20,000 jobs.

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

The 2018 Visitor Spending Effects analysis incorporates newly available survey data for San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and 18 additional parks in the National Park System. The survey was part of a pilot project to develop long-term, scientific monitoring and collection of visitor data during a park’s peak season. Previous spending estimates for San Antonio Missions were calculated by using generalized visitor spending data from other parks in the National Park System. The new survey data showed us that people stayed longer in gateway communities and spent more money during their visit. The updated data contributed to an overall 11.4% increase in estimated visitor spending for San Antonio Missions this year.

Comparison of spending from the pilot project with previous general profiles.   

	2017 Visitor Spending Effects	2018 Visitor Spending Effects	Change	% Change
Visits	1,381,383	1,208,104	-173,279	-12.5%
Visitor Spending ($Million)	$79.0	$88.0	$9.0	11.4%
Output ($Million)	$108.0	$131.0	$23.0	21.3%
Jobs	1,168	1,295	127	10.9%

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


About San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Much of San Antonio can trace its roots to the park’s four missions, which are active Catholic parishes and part of a World Heritage Site . Visitors from around the world come to experience Spanish Colonial mission life and learn how the Spanish transformed native cultures through language, religion, and a new way of life. The missions serve as reminders of how native people adapted and succeeded in their new world, creating the culturally diverse San Antonio of today. Learn more online and visit us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.