A new report shows that 1.6 million visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in 2022 spent $149 million in communities near the park.
That spending supported 1,500 jobs in the local area and $195 million in economic output in local gateway economies surrounding the park, according to the report by the National Park Service.
“We recognize that tourism is a critical driver to the local economy,” Superintendent Rhonda Loh said in a press release. “People come to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to experience volcanic eruptions, the rich island biodiversity, and cherished cultural landscapes.”
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists at the NPS.
Nationwide, the report found that $23.9 billion was spent 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, according to the report.