GETTYSBURG, PA - A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that more than 786,000 visitors to Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site in 2022 spent $57.1 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 686 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $82.1 million.
“Gettysburg and Eisenhower welcome visitors locally and from around the world," said Superintendent Steven D. Sims. “We are happy to be able to share the stories of the Battle of Gettysburg and the lives of President and First Lady, Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower, to the numerous experiences they provide. We also appreciate the partnerships and support of our neighbors and are very fortunate to be part of the thriving heritage tourism and outdoor recreation communities throughout south-central Pennsylvania."
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists at the National Park Service. The report shows $23.9 billion of direct spending by nearly 312 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 378,400 jobs nationally; 314,600 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $50.3 billion.
As for the economics of visitor spending, the lodging sector had the highest direct effects, with $9 billion in economic output nationally. The restaurants sector was had the second greatest effects, with $4.6 billion in economic output nationally. Report authors also produce an interactive tool that enables users to explore 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: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm.
To learn more about national parks in Pennsylvania and how the National Park Service works with Pennsylvania communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/PENNSYLVANIA.
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About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 425 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at [http://../www.nps.gov ]www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Tags: gettysburg gettysburg national military park eisenhower national historic site economic benefits tourism partnership heritage travel transportation battlefield presidents homes
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service