A new report from the National Park Service (NPS) claims that 803,739 visitors to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in 2014 spent more than $45 million in communities near the park. That spending, the report said, supported 766 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $64.8 million.
“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,” said site Superintendent Tracy Fortmann in a press release. “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 U.S. Geological Survey economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Christopher Huber and National Park Service economist Lynne Koontz.
According to the 2014 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging (30.6 percent) followed by food and beverages (20.3 percent), gas and oil (11.9 percent), admissions and fees (10.2 percent) and souvenirs and other expenses (9.9 percent).
View the report in full at www.nature.nps.gov/socialscience/economics.cfm.
