A new National Park Service (NPS) report for 2017 shows that 383,687 park visitors spent an estimated $23.1 million in local gateway regions while visiting Channel Islands National Park. That spending supported 308 jobs and contributed $32.3 million to our local economy.
In the past year, 897,593 visitors to Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area spent an estimated $38.3 million in the local area, supporting 512 jobs and providing $51.8 million in economic benefit.
“While our parks are national treasures, our neighbors and local communities do much of the work to help us protect them and to welcome visitors,” said Superintendent David Szymanski of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. “It’s gratifying to know that this work not only satisfies the spirit. It’s good business, too.”
“The NPS has a presence in every community in the United States, including ours,” said Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Russell Galipeau (who has announced his retirement). “National park tourism is a significant driver in our economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the NPS.”
The interactive tool and report are available at the NPS Social Science Program webpage: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm
