The Department of the Interior today announced that visitor spending in communities near national parks in 2021 resulted in a $42.5 billion benefit to the nation’s economy and supported 322,600 mostly local jobs.
According to the National Park Service report, 2021 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, approximately 297 million visitors spent $20.5 billion in communities within 60 miles of a national park. Of the 322,600 jobs supported by visitor spending, 268,900 jobs were in park gateway communities.
Additional findings include:
- Visitor spending in 2021 meant $14.6 billion in labor income and $24.3 billion in value added.
- The lodging sector saw the highest direct effects, with $7 billion in economic output directly contributed to this sector nationally.
- The restaurant sector saw the next greatest effects, with $4.2 billion in economic output directly contributed to this sector nationally.
Reflexive Analysis
This NPS site presents data around the money the parks bring in. These numbers help to understand specifics about how our historical national park in Dayton affects the economics of the city. Based on these numbers the park service produced around 3 million dollars of revenue for goods and services outside of the park. The nearly 66,000 visitors that year was higher than I had expected.
I found it particularly interesting how many jobs different parks supply and what sectors are affected by park performance. For example the lodging sector is the most affected directly. The park service could leverage this info to generate more money and engagement. They could use lodging opportunities to tell their stories. What if Orville Wright or Paul Laurence Dunbar’s home, or other historical sites were turned into or included Air BnB’s?
Sources
Null. (2021, August 18). National Aviation Day: 5 places to visit to celebrate the history of flight and the wright brothers. dayton. https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/key-places-visit-the-amazing-history-flight-and-the-wright-brothers-dayton/nRgHdvDtMFkSLkj2uV8z7M/
U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.-b). National Park visitor spending contributed $42.5 billion to U.S. economy. National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1778/vse2021.htm
