WEST ORANGE, NJ — A new National Park Service report shows that 56,317 visitors to Thomas Edison National Historical Park in 2015 spent $3.2 million in communities near the park, according to a recent release. That spending supported 42 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $4.4 million.
“Thomas Edison NHP welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world,” park Superintendent Thomas E. Ross said in the release. “We are delighted to share the story of this place and the experiences it provides. We also feature the park as a way to introduce our visitors to this part of the country and all it offers. 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 Koonz 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, with 252,000 jobs found in these gateway communities, and had a cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy of $32 billion. According to the 2015 report, 31.1 percent of park visitor spending was for lodging, 20.2 percent was for food and beverages, 11.8 percent for gas and oil, 10.2 percent for admissions and fees, and 9.8 percent for souvenirs.
Additionally, report authors this year produced an interactive tool. Users can explore current-year visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value added and output effects by sector for national, state and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available at the NPS Social Science Program webpage at go.nps.gov/vse. The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state.
To learn more about national parks in New Jersey and how the National Park Service works with New Jersey communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment and provide outdoor recreation, visit www.nps.gov/newjersey.
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