Lewis and Clark National Historical Park tourism creates more than $10 million in local economic benefit

Part of $30 billion impact that supports 252,000 jobs nationwide

A new National Park Service report shows that the more than 191,000 visitors to Lewis and Clark National Historical Park in 2011 spent $10,157,000 in communities surrounding the park.  This spending supported 151 jobs in the local area.
“Lewis and Clark National Historical Park attracts visitors from around the world who come here to experience the park and then spend time and money enjoying the services provided by our neighboring communities,” said Acting Park Superintendent Andrew Rasmussen. “The National Park Service is delighted that the visitors we welcome generate significant contributions to the local, state, and national economy.”

The information on Lewis and Clark National Historical Park is part of a 2011 peer-reviewed spending analysis of national park visitors across the country conducted by Michigan State University for the National Park Service.  For 2011, that report shows $13 billion of direct spending by 279 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park.  That visitor spending had a $30 billion impact on the entire U.S. economy and supported 252,000 jobs nationwide.
Most visitor spending supports jobs in lodging, food, and beverage service (63 percent) followed by recreation and entertainment (17 percent), other retail (11 percent), transportation and fuel (7 percent) and wholesale and manufacturing (2 percent.)
To download the report visit www.nature.nps.gov/socialscience/products.cfm#MGM and click on Economic Benefits to Local Communities from National Park Visitation, 2011.

The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state.