Tourism to Congaree National Park creates $8.5 million in Economic Benefits
April 21, 2017
Report shows visitor spending supports 101 jobs in local economy
A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 143,833 visitors to Congaree National Park in 2016 spent $7.3 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 101 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $8.5 million.
“Visitors come to visit Congaree National Park from literally all over the world,” said Superintendent Tracy Stakely. “We are proud to showcase this park and its resources. We also recognize that this park is part of a regional and a national story. National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning more than $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 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 $18.4 billion of direct spending by 331 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 318,000 jobs nationally; 271,544 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $ 34.9 billion.
According to the 2016 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging (31.2 percent) followed by food and beverages (27.2 percent), gas and oil (11.7 percent), admissions and fees (10.2 percent), souvenirs and other expenses (9.7 percent), local transportation (7.4 percent), and camping fees (2.5%).
Report authors this year produced an interactive tool. Users can explore current year visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value added, and output effects by sector for national, state, and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available at the NPS Social Science Program webpage: go.nps.gov/vse.
The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state.
To learn more about national parks in South Carolina and how the National Park Service works with South Carolina communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/southcarolina.
For more information about Congaree National Park, call 803.647.3970 or visit www.nps.gov/cong.
Join Congaree National Park on social media: www.facebook.com/CongareeNP, www.twitter.com/CongareeNPS, www.flickr.com/photos/congareenps/ and www.pinterest.com/congareenps.
