The National Park Service (NPS) reported that 633,000 visitors to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area spent $26 million in communities near the park in 2013, supporting 332 local jobs.
U.S. Geological Survey economists conducted the consumer analysis, with help from the NPS.
“This report shows that conservation of places like the Santa Monica Mountains not only offers tangible quality of life benefits, but also helps support the local economy,” said David Szymanski, superintendent of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. “Our park welcomes thousands of outdoor enthusiasts each week.”
The report also determined $14.6 billion of direct spending by 273.6 million park visitors within 60 miles of a national park. The spending helped support more than 237,000 jobs nationally and benefitted the U.S. economy by $26.5 billion.
Visitors spent the majority of money on lodging (30.3 percent), followed by food and beverages (27.3 percent), gas and oil (12.1 percent), admissions and fees (10.3 percent) and souvenirs and other expenses (10 percent) according to the report.
Restaurants, bars and lodging were the largest job categories supported by visitor spending, totaling over 88,000 jobs.
To download the full report or view previous reports, visit here.