Gateway communities reap benefits of national park visitation
Even during a year spent mostly at home, 2020 numbers look robust
JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — National parks are a vital part of the nation’s economy, especially for park gateway communities where millions of visitors each year find a place to sleep and eat, hire outfitters and guides, and make use of other local services that help drive a vibrant tourism and outdoor recreation industry.
In 2020, visitor spending in communities near national parks resulted in a $28.6 billion benefit to the nation’s economy and supported 234,000 jobs. Visitors to national parks in 2020 shelled out a total of $14.5 billion.
Those numbers are admittedly down from 2019 simply because so many of us were staying put during most of the year to help slow the spread of COVID. In 2019, economic output was measured as $41.7 billion with visitor spending at $21 billion and 341,000 jobs created.
“The pandemic reminds us all of the importance of the outdoors not only to our economy, but also to our health and wellness,” said National Park Service deputy director Shawn Benge. “We are excited to welcome visitors back outdoors as weather warms and more people are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We are expecting high visitation this summer and encourage visitors to explore our website as they plan their trips.”
According to the National Park Service report, 2020 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, approximately 237 million visitors spent $14.5 billion in communities within 60 miles of a national park. Of the 234,000 jobs supported by visitor spending, 194,400 jobs were in communities located within 50 miles of a park.
National Parks and Wyoming just go together
Visitor spending in Wyoming was down from 2019 but not by much considering the pandemic. Perhaps escaping to Jackson Hole and nearby parks had spending at $859M in 2020 compared to $924M in 2019.
In terms of economic contributions to state economies, Wyoming ranks in the top 5 in most every category including visitor spending and jobs created. Only California, North Carolina, Virginia, and Utah rank higher.
As for the economics of visitor spending, the lodging sector had the highest direct effects, nationally and in Wyoming. The restaurant sector had the second greatest impact, followed by groceries, transportation, retail, and camping revenues.
The annual peer-reviewed economics report was prepared by economists from the U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service. It includes information by parks and by states on visitor spending, the number of jobs supported by visitor spending and other statistics.
