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  12:02 a.m. April 29, 2016
Tourism to Great Smoky Mountains National Park generates $874 million



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Great Smoky Mountains National Park tourism generated nearly $1 billion in revenue to nearby communities in 2015. Image by Jeaneane Payne.


GSMNP — According to a new National Park Service (NPS) report, 10,712,673 visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2015 spent $873,886,500 in communities near the park. That spending supported 13,709 jobs in the local area. National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service.

“In 2015, over 10.7 million visitors not only came to the park, but they also spent time in our local communities to find lodging, meals, and entertainment creating an incredible economic benefit throughout our region,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “We are pleased to continue working alongside our business community in providing exceptional services to complete a memorable Great Smoky Mountains visitor experience.”

The 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 $16.9 billion of direct spending by 307.2 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 295,000 jobs nationally; 252,000 of those jobs are found in gateway communities. The total benefit to the U.S. economy was $32 billion.

According to the 2015 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging (31.1 percent) followed by food and beverages (20.2 percent), gas and oil (11.8 percent), admissions and fees (10.2 percent) and souvenirs and other expenses (9.8 percent).


Published April 29, 2016








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