Jean Lafitte, New Orleans Jazz Parks have $27.7M in economic benefits

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A new national Park Service report shows that 473,395 visitors to New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park and to Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in 2016 spent $27.7 million in communities near park sites in Lafayette, Eunice, and Thibodaux and the greater New Orleans area, including Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard parishes.
The spending supported 427 area jobs and had a cumulative benefit to local economies of $36.3 million.
Jean Lafitte and New Orleans Jazz welcome visitors from around the corner, around the country, and around the world, said Superintendent Lance Hatten. “We are delighted to tell the stories of south Louisiana, share the experiences of this remarkable place, and encourage our visitors to get to know the area outside of the park as well. 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. We appreciate the partnership and support of our neighbors and are glad to be able to give back by helping to sustain local communities.”
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service.
The report shows $18.4 billion of direct spending by 331 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 318,000 jobs nationally; 271,544 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $ 34.9 billion. According to the 2016 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging (31.2 percent) followed by food and beverages (27.2 percent), gas and oil (11.7 percent), admissions and fees (10.2 percent), souvenirs and other expenses (9.7 percent), local transportation (7.4 percent), and camping fees (2.5 percent).
Report authors produced an interactive tool which allows users to explore current year visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value added, and output effects by sector for national, state, and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available at the NPS Social Science Program webpage go.nps.gov/vse. The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state.
To learn more about national parks in Louisiana and how the National Park Service works with Louisiana communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to nps.gov/louisiana.