Grand Teton creates $796 Million in local economic benefits
MOOSE, Wyo. (KIFI/KIDK) - A recent National Park Service report shows in 2019, 3.4 million park visitors spent an estimated $630 million in local gateway regions while visiting Grand Teton National Park.
These expenditures supported a total of 8,640 jobs, $275 million in labor income, $463 million in value added, and $796 million in economic output in local gateway economies surrounding Grand Teton National Park.
"We recognize Grand Teton National Park's important role as an economic driver in the state of Wyoming," Acting Superintendent Gopaul Noojibail said. "This is a special place and we greatly appreciate our local and state partners that help serve our visitors and protect the park's iconic resources for future generations."
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service. The report shows $21 billion of direct spending by more than 327 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 340,500 jobs nationally, and 278,000 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $41.7 billion.
Nationally, lodging expenses account for the largest share of visitor spending, about $7.1 billion in 2019. The restaurant sector had the next greatest effects with $4.2 billion in economic output. Motor vehicle fuel expenditures were $2.16 billion with retail spending at $1.93 billion.
Visitor spending on lodging supported more than 58,000 jobs and more than 61,000 jobs in restaurants. Visitor spending in the recreation industries supported more than 28,000 jobs and spending in retail supported more than 20,000 jobs.
The report authors also produce an interactive tool that enables users to explore visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value-added and output effects by sector for national, state and local economies. You can view the interactive tool and report on the NPS Social Science Program webpage.
