EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Nearly 730,000 people visited White Sands National Park in 2023 and those visitors spent $44.5 million in communities near the park, according to a new National Park Service report.
That spending supported 595 jobs in the area around White Sands and had a cumulative benefit to the regional economy of $53.4 million, according to the 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,” National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said. “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.”
“White Sands is a vital part of the local and state economy. In our gateway communities, visitors find a place to sleep and eat and make use of other local services that help drive a vibrant tourism and outdoor recreation industry,” White Sands National Park Superintendent Marie Frias Sauter. “We are excited to share the story of White Sands and southern New Mexico with visitors from all over the world and are pleased to contribute to the local economy in a positive way.”
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, according to the National Park Service.
The lodging sector had the highest direct contributions with $9.9 billion in economic output and 89,200 jobs, the report said. Restaurants received the next greatest direct contributions with $5.2 billion in economic output and 68,600 jobs.
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