Report shows visitor spending supports 105 jobs in local economy
A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 255,586 visitors to Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River in 2012 spent $10,152,000 in communities near the park unit. That spending supported 105 jobs in the local area.
“Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River is proud to welcome visitors from across the country and around the world,” said Acting Superintendent Malcolm T. Wilbur. “We are delighted to share the story of this place and the experiences it provides and to use the park unit 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 $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.”
“The Upper Delaware River is a vastly underestimated economic engine in this five-county, NY-PA region and I’m not at all surprised that this independent study is beginning to reveal that fact. The untapped potential from river recreation-related industry and its spin-off effects is enormous,” commented Andrew Boyar, 2014 chairman of the Upper Delaware Council non-
profit organization that coordinates the federal-state-local partnership working toward the river’s conservation and enhancement.
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by U.S. Geological Survey economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Christopher Huber and Lynne Koontz for the National Park Service. The report shows $14.7 billion of direct spending by 283 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 243,000 jobs nationally, with 201,000 jobs found in these gateway communities, and had a cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy of $26.75 billion.
According to the report most visitor spending supports jobs in restaurants, grocery, and convenience stores (39 percent), hotels, motels, and B&Bs (27 percent), and other amusement and recreation (20 percent).
To download the report visit http://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 Pennsylvania or New York and how the National Park Service works with Pennsylvania and/or New York communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/Pennsylvania or www.nps.gov/NewYork.
