A new National Park Service report shows that 317,000 visitors to Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield in 2023 spent $21.2 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 311 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $28.7 million. See the news release WICR 7_2024 Visitor Spending Effects 2023.
“I’m so proud that our parks and the stories we tell make a lasting impact on more than 300 million visitors a year,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “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.”
“People come to Wilson’s Creek to learn about the Trans-Mississippi theater of the Civil War, to commemorate and reflect on a difficult period of our history, and to enjoy the recreational benefits throughout the site,” said Superintendent Sarah Cunningham. “We recognize tourism as a critical driver to our local economies and are proud that Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield supports 311 jobs and generations $28.7 million in revenue to communities near the park.”
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. This 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.
An interactive tool is available to explore visitor spending, jobs, labor income, and total economic contribution by sector for national, state and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available on the NPS website.
To learn more about national parks in Missouri and how the National Park Service works with Missouri communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/missouri.
