Tourism to War in the Pacific National Historical Park creates $18.5 million in Economic Benefit

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Date: April 21, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Release Date: April 22, 2016
Contact:Jim Richardson

Phone: 671-477-7278

Tourism to War in the Pacific National Historical Park creates $18.5 million in Economic Benefit - Report shows visitor spending supports 232 jobs in local economy

Hagatna, Guam –A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 322,463 visitors to War in the Pacific National Historical Park in 2015 spent $18.5 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 232 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $22.6 million.

"War in the Pacific National Historical Park welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world," said Superintendent Jim Richardson. "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 this part of the country 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 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."

Superintendent Jim Richardson further stated, "Although not reflected in the study, the American Memorial Park, a National Park affiliated area on Saipan also contributes significantly to the island's economy. National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy - returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service –and clearly it's a big factor in our local economy 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 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).

To download the report visit: go.nps.gov/vse. The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state.

To learn more about national parks on Guam and Saipan visit https://www.nps.gov/wapa or https://www.nps.gov/amme.



Last updated: April 21, 2016

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