As reported by KPVI, US Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today stated that last year as a result of tourist spending in areas near national parks, the nation’s economy was reinforced with US$35.8bn. It is around US$1bn boost to the economy compared to the year before in 2016.
The ‘2017 National Park Visitor Spending Effects’ report shows more than 330mn visitors in 2017 spent US$18.2bn in the communities around national parks. The spending has also supported 306,000 jobs.
Commenting on the same, Zinke said: “This report illustrates the incredible economic value of our national parks, and further shows the value in President Trump’s plan to rebuild park infrastructure.”
Explaining how crucial are national parks for families in the US and also in revenue generation, he further added: “National parks provide us a gateway to the outdoors, family recreationopportunities andconnect us to our history and heritage, and they are extremely vital to local economies all across the nation. Parks provide jobs and fuel the outdoor recreation and tourism economy. But as parks remain a popular destination for American families, we must continue to address deferred maintenance and infrastructure needs to ensure parks remain world-class destinations. One of the ways the President and I are doing this is by partnering with Congress on a bipartisan bill to address the maintenance backlog.”
“Parks are priceless not only for their intrinsic natural beauty and historical significance, but also for the economic benefits they provide to communities across the country,” said Will Shafroth, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “The investments we make in our national parks protect cherished places while promoting community and economic development.”