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2021 National park visitor spending effects: Economic contributions to local communities, states, and the nation

June 1, 2022

The National Park Service (NPS) manages the Nation’s most iconic destinations that attract millions of visitors from across the Nation and around the world. Trip-related spending by NPS visitors generates and supports economic activity within park gateway communities. This report summarizes the annual economic contribution analysis that measures how NPS visitor spending cycles through local economies, generating business sales and supporting jobs and income.
In 2021, the National Park System received over 297 million recreation visits (up 25% from 2020). Visitors to national parks spent an estimated $20.5 billion in local gateway regions (up 41% from 2020). The estimated contribution of this spending to the national economy was 322,600 jobs, $14.6 billion in labor income, $24.3 billion in value added, and $42.5 billion in economic output. The lodging sector saw the highest direct effects, with $7 billion in economic output directly contributed to this sector nationally. The restaurants sector saw the next greatest effects, with $4.2 billion in economic output directly contributed to this sector nationally.
Results from the Visitor Spending Effects report series are available online via an interactive tool. Users can view year-by-year trend data and explore current year visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value added, and economic output effects by sector for national, state, and local economies. The interactive tool is available at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm.

Publication Year 2022
Title 2021 National park visitor spending effects: Economic contributions to local communities, states, and the nation
Authors Catherine M. Cullinane Thomas, Matthew Flyr, Lynne Koontz
Publication Type Report
Publication Subtype Federal Government Series
Series Title Natural Resource Report
Series Number NPS/NRSS/EQD/NRR-2022/2395
Index ID 70248097
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Fort Collins Science Center
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