A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that in 2018, 72,048 visitors to Carl Sandburg Home NHS in 2018 spent $4.3 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 62 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $5,346,000.
“North Carolina has 10 national park units. Our state ranks second in the nation in terms of local community jobs supported by national park visitor spending. North Carolina ranks fourth nationally in terms of park visitor spending in communities near these 10 parks,” said Superintendent Polly Angelakis. “Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site is proud to share Sandburg’s legacy and help contribute to our local and state economies. National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy as well, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service.”
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Egan Cornachione of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service. The report shows $20.2 billion of direct spending by more than 318 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 329,000 jobs nationally; 268,000 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $40.1 billion.
Lodging expenses account for the largest share of visitor spending, about $6.8 billion in 2018. Food expenses are the second largest spending area and visitors spent $4 billion in restaurants and bars and another $1.4 billion at grocery and convenience stores.
Visitor spending on lodging supported more than 58,000 jobs and more than 61,000 jobs in restaurants. Visitor spending in the recreation industries supported more than 28,000 jobs and spending in retail supported more than 20,000 jobs.
TOURISM TO CARL SANDBURG HOME NATONAL HISTORIC SITE CREATES $5.3 MILLION IN ECONOMIC BENEFITS
