Bighorn Canyon Boosts Local Economy
Written by Andrew-Rossi on April 21, 2017
2016 was a big year for Bighorn Canyon National Park.
A new Park Service report shows that almost 260,000 visitors came to Bighorn Canyon in 2016, spending over $11 million dollars in the communities near the park. That spending supported 174 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of over $13.5 million dollars.
Acting Superintendent Regina Klein Dissler pointed out that national park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning more than $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service, and it’s a big factor in our local economy as well.
According to the 2016 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging – 31.2 percent; that was followed by food and beverages at 27.2 percent, gas and oil accounted for 11.7 percent of spending, and admissions and fees made up 10.2 percent.
