Tourism To Yellowstone National Park Creates Nearly $382 Million In Economic Benefit

Date: July 18, 2014

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior

Yellowstone National Park
P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
   
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 18, 2014                14-049    

Al Nash or Dan Hottle
[phone]
[e-mail]

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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK NEWS RELEASE
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Tourism To Yellowstone National Park Creates Nearly $382 Million In Economic Benefit
Report shows visitor spending supports 5,300 jobs in area economy

A new National Park Service report shows that 3,188,030 visitors to Yellowstone National Park in 2013 spent almost $382 million in communities surrounding the park. That spending supported 5,300 jobs in the area.

The report shows $14.6 billion of direct spending by 273.6 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported more than 237,000 jobs nationally, with more than 197,000 jobs found in these gateway communities, and had a cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy of $26.5 billion.

According to the 2013 economic analysis, most visitor spending was for lodging (30.3 percent) followed by food and beverages (27.3 percent), gas and oil (12.1 percent), admissions and fees (10.3 percent) and souvenirs and other expenses (10 percent).

The largest jobs categories supported by visitor spending were restaurants and bars (50,000 jobs) and lodging (38,000 jobs).

The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by U.S. Geological Survey economists for the National Park Service. It allocates 51 percent of Yellowstone’s total impact to the State of Montana and 49 percent to the State of Wyoming.

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 Idaho, Montana and Wyoming and how the National Park Service works with the communities in these three states to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/Idaho, www.nps.gov/Montana, and www.nps.gov/Wyoming.

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