Tourism to Devils Tower Creates $39,646,100 in Economic Benefits

Press Release – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 498,000 visitors to Devils Tower National Monument in 2016 spent $31,586,800 in communities near the park. That spending supported 500 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $39,646,100.

“Devils Tower National Monument welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world,” said Superintendent, Tim Reid. “We are delighted to share the story of this special place and the experience it provides. National park tourism is a significant driver in state and local economies, returning $10 for every $1 spent in National Park Service units. 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 Koontz of the National Park Service.  The report shows $18.4 billion of direct spending by 331 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 318,000 jobs nationally; 271,544,000 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $ 34.9 billion.

According to the 2016 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging (31.2 percent) followed by food and beverages (27.2 percent), gas and oil (11.7 percent), admissions and fees (10.2 percent), souvenirs and other expenses (9.7 percent), local transportation (7.4 percent), and camping fees (2.5 percent).

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: go.nps.gov/vse. The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state.

To learn more about national parks in Wyoming and how the National Park Service works with Wyoming communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/state/wy.

To learn more about Devils Tower National Monument visit www.nps.gov/deto or www.facebook.com/Devils-Tower-National-Monument-Official-NPS-Site or twitter.com@DevilsTowerNM or Instagram at #devilstowernps

About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.