National Parks generate tourism dollars
Visitors spent about $18.2 billion in National Park visits during 2017. And a new National Park Service report shows Yellowstone tourism created almost $630 million in local economic benefits.
4.1 million people visited Yellowstone in 2017 and spent $498.8 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 7,354 jobs and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $629.6 million.
“Yellowstone welcomes people from across the country and around the world who contribute significantly to the local economies in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho,” said Superintendent Dan Wenk. “The economic benefits our neighbors enjoy are a direct result of preserving Yellowstone’s abundant wildlife, spectacular thermal features, and dramatic scenery. As we look to the future, preservation has to be the key value we consider as we address increasing visitation. Protecting the park also protects the regional tourism economy.”
According to the report, 695,000 park visitors spent an estimated $32.7 million in Idaho gateway communities while visiting National Park Service lands. That supported 533 jobs, $13.3 million in labor income, $22.1 million in value-added impact, and $42.1 million in economic output in the Idaho economy.
In Wyoming, which hosts several major National Parks and Monuments, including Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Devil’s Tower, the impact was much larger. The report shows that in 2017, 7.5 million park visitors spent an estimated $882 million in gateway communities. That supported 12.3 thousand jobs, $348 million in labor income, $612 million in value-added impact and $1.1 billion in economic output in the Wyoming economy.
