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NPS Photo/Mekow
“Shiloh National Military Park welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world,” said Superintendent Dale Wilkerson. “We are delighted to share the story of the most epic struggle in the Western theater of the Civil War. Both the Shiloh Battlefield, and the Corinth Interpretive Center, offer unique experiences and provide our visitors the opportunity to be introduced to the charm and culture of this part of the country. Throughout the nation, tourism is a significant driver in the economies of the gateway communities surrounding the parks, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service, and it’s a big factor in our local economies as well. We appreciate the partnership and support of our neighbors in Tennessee and Mississippi and are glad to be able to give back by helping to sustain the local communities.” Shiloh National Military Park was established on December 27, 1894. Shiloh Battlefield preserves the scene of the two-day battle, April 6 and 7, 1862, involving nearly 110,000 Union and Confederate troops, and resulting in 23,746 casualties. This decisive Union victory enabled United States forces to advance on and seize control of the strategic Confederate railway junction at Corinth, Mississippi, on May 30, 1862. From October 3-4, 1862, the fighting for Corinth renewed, with the engagement ending on October 5th at Davis Bridge. The Battle of Corinth involved over 250,000 men, and resulted in an additional 12,000 casualties. On September 22, 2000, the Corinth Interpretive Center and associated properties were made a part of Shiloh National Military Park. The 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. For the State of Tennessee, the report shows that there were 9,401,903 visitors to National Park Units, with $664.7 million in spending in the communities near the parks, supporting 10,239 jobs in the local areas. For the State of Mississippi, the report shows that there were 6,618,914 visitors to National Park Units, with $206.9 million in spending in the communities near the parks, supporting 2,967 jobs in the local areas. Nationwide, the report shows $18.4 billion of direct spending by 331 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 318,000 jobs nationally; 271,544 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $34.9 billion. According to the 2016 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging (31.2 percent) followed by food and beverages (27.2 percent), gas and oil (11.7 percent), admissions and fees (10.2 percent), souvenirs and other expenses (9.7 percent), local transportation (7.4 percent), and camping fees (2.5 percent). Report authors this year produced an interactive tool. Users can 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 for visitor spending at individual parks and by state. To learn more about national parks in Tennessee and Mississippi and how the National Park Service works with communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to: https://www.nps.gov/tennessee or http:/www.nps.gov/mississippi |
Last updated: April 24, 2017