A new National Park Service report for 2011 shows that the 1,352,123 visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park spent $96.9 million in communities surrounding the park. The spending supported 1,177 jobs in the local area.
A new National Park Service report for 2011 shows that the 1,352,123 visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park spent $96.9 million in communities surrounding the park. The spending supported 1,177 jobs in the local area.
“The data is exciting, for the park and for our island communities, which have always understood the positive fiscal impact of the national parks,” Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando said in a written statement. “Our visitation numbers continue to rise at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, which is the most visited attraction on the island of Hawaii. It’s great to share that the visitors we welcome generate significant contributions to the local, state, and national economies.”
In 2012, an estimated 1,483,930 people visited Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, an increase of 9.7 percent from 2011 – which was up 3.6 percent from 2010. The increases reflect a rising trend in Hawaii Island tourism numbers, including a 9.4 percent increase in island arrivals for December 2012 compared to December 2011, according to Hawaii Tourism Authority reports.
The economic information on Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is part of a peer-reviewed spending analysis of national park visitors across the country conducted by Michigan State University for the National Park Service.