Report: Over 5 Million Park Visitors Spent Over $200 Million in Communities in 2013

Staff Report

National parks are treasures to be enjoyed by all, and national parks also make a positive impact economically within their community.

A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that in 2013, over 5.5 million visitors to Atlanta’s Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park and Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in Sandy Springs spent $268,442,700 in communities near the park.

That spending supported 3,863 jobs in the local area, the National Parks Service said in a press release.

“We are delighted to share the story of this place and the experiences it provides and to use the park as a way to introduce our visitors to this part of the country and all that it offers,” said Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Superintendent Bill Cox. “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 Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area was visited last year by more than 3 million people, with spending by visitors at $123,574,900.

“The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site is one of Atlanta’s top visitor destinations,” said Judy Forte, superintendent of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. “Our park highlights the Civil Rights Movement and the dream that Dr. Martin Luther King worked so diligently to promote.”

Visitation for that park in 2013 was 704,168. Total visitor spending equaled $38,813,500, supporting 574 jobs.

“We just completed our sesquicentennial Civil War commemoration this year at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, with great turn-out and support from those who visited us from the community, as well as from those who visited us from across the country,” Superintendent Nancy Walther added.

According to the new report, Kennesaw Mountain saw 1,924,076 visits in 2013, with spending at $106,054,300, supporting 1,566 jobs.

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 $14.6 billion of direct spending by 273.6 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported more than 237,000 jobs nationally, with more than 197,000 jobs found in these gateway communities, and had a cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy of $26.5 billion.

According to the 2013 economic analysis, most visitor spending was for lodging (30.3 percent) followed by food and beverages (27.3 percent), gas and oil (12.1 percent), admissions and fees (10.3 percent) and souvenirs and other expenses (10 percent).

The largest jobs categories supported by visitor spending were restaurants and bars (50,000 jobs) and lodging (38,000 jobs).

The report can be downloaded from the National Parks Service’s website, and also includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state.

To learn more about national parks in Georgia and how the National Park Service works with Georgia communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment and provide outdoor recreation, visit Parks Service’s Georgia website.

(Photo credit: Patch file)