~ Press release provided by Shenandoah National Park
LURAY, Sept. 25 — A new National Park Service report shows that 1.7 million visitors to Shenandoah National Park in 2024 spent $132 million in communities near the park. That spending had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $175 million.
“Visitors to Shenandoah National Park come seeking opportunities to learn, recreate, and relax,” said Superintendent Tracy Stakely. “We’re proud that Shenandoah supports and generates $175 million in economic output to the communities near the park.”
The National Park Service report, 2024 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, finds that visitors spent $29 billion in communities near national parks. This spending provided $18.8 billion in labor income and $56.3 in economic output to the U.S. economy. The lodging sector had the highest direct contributions with $11.1 billion in economic output. Restaurants received the next greatest direct contributions with $5.7 billion in economic output.
An interactive tool is available to explore visitor spending, 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 Virginia and how the National Park Service works with Virginia communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/virginia.
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