A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 4.8 million visitors to Gulf Islands National Seashore in 2016 spent $206 million in communities near the park, creating an economic benefit of $251.8 million. That spending supported 3,000 jobs in the local area.
“Gulf Islands National Seashore welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world,†said Superintendent Dan Brown.
“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 more than $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.â€
The annual peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis showed that nationally the 331 million visitors to national park units in 2016 contributed $18.4 billion of direct spending in communities within 60 miles of a national park system unit. This spending supported over 318,000 jobs nationally. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $34.9 billion.
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.Â
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%).
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.
