PAICINES, CA—A new National Park
Service (NPS) report shows that 233,000 visitors to Pinnacles National Park in
2017 spent $13.3 million in communities near the park. That spending supported
a total of 171 jobs, $6.5 million in labor income, $10.3 million in value
added, and $16.4 million in economic output in local gateway economies
surrounding Pinnacles National Park. “ We’re proud to welcome visitors
from all over the world to Pinnacles National Park,” said Superintendent Karen Beppler-Dorn.
“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 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 $18.2 billion of direct spending by more
than 330 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending
supported 306,000 jobs nationally; 255,900 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative
benefit to the U.S. economy was $35.8 billion. The lodging sector received the
highest direct contributions with $5.5 billion in economic output to local gateway economies and 49,000 jobs.
The restaurants sector received the next greatest direct contributions with $3.7 billion in economic output
to local gateway economies and 60,500 jobs. According to the 2017 report, most
park visitor spending was for lodging/camping (32.9 %) followed by
food and beverages (27.5 %), gas and
oil (12.1 %), souvenirs and other expenses (10.1 %), admissions and fees (10.0 %), and local
transportation (7.5 %).
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