NPS report: Visitors spent $114M in Virginia communities near Shenandoah National Park

A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 1.5 million visitors to Shenandoah National Park in 2023 spent $114 million in communities near the park.

The spending supported 1,351 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $156 million.

“I’m so proud that our parks and the stories we tell make a lasting impact on more than 300 million visitors a year,” National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said. “And I’m just as proud to see those visitors making positive impacts of their own, by supporting local economies and jobs in every state in the country.”

The National Park Service report, 2023 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, finds that 325.5 million visitors spent $26.4 billion in communities near national parks. The spending supported 415,400 jobs, provided $19.4 billion in labor income and $55.6 in economic output to the U.S. economy.

The lodging sector had the highest direct contributions with $9.9 billion in economic output and 89,200 jobs. The restaurants received the next greatest direct contributions with $5.2 billion in economic output and 68,600 jobs.

“Visitors to Shenandoah National Park come seeking opportunities to learn, recreate, relax, and to build community,” Acting Superintendent Cynthia Sirk-Fear said. “We’re proud that Shenandoah contributes so much every year to the local economies of our communities. These are our friends and neighbors. Shenandoah strives to be a good neighbor, and to provide an inspirational experience to visitors, for years to come.”

An interactive tool is available to explore visitor spending, jobs, labor income and total economic contribution by sector for national, state and local economies. Year-by-year trend data is also available for view. The interactive tool and report are available on the NPS website.

To learn more about national parks in Virginia and how the National Park Service works with Virginia communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment and provide outdoor recreation, go online.