VERNAL, Utah, Sept. 9, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Dinosaur National Monument, both in Vernal, Utah and Dinosaur, Colorado, drew 326,529 visitors 2023, and they spent $24,120,000 in communities near the park.
That spending supported 336 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $28,403,000, according to a new report.
“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.”
The 2023 visitor spending analysis incorporates newly available survey data for Dinosaur National Monument that was collected as part of new NPS socioeconomic monitoring. Previous spending estimates for Dinosaur National Monument were calculated using generalized trip and spending data.
The updated survey data finds that visitors are actually spending more time and money during their visit to Dinosaur compared to previous data, the National Park Service statement says. Overall, the 2023 visitor spending estimates more accurately reflect local visitor spending patterns as well as increases in visitation and associated costs.
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 billion 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 www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience.
To learn more about national parks in Colorado and Utah and how the National Park Service works with Colorado and Utah communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/colorado or www.nps.gov/utah.
