Mammoth Cave NP Pumps $43.6 Mil Into Regional Economy

MAMMOTH CAVE, Ky., April 23, 2015 – In 2014, Mammoth Cave National Park generated $43.6 million and 683 jobs in the south central Kentucky area, according to a recent economic impact study by the National Park Service.  Across the country record numbers of visitors to national parks in 2014 translated into $29.7 billion in economic activity that supported nearly 277,000 jobs across the country.  The report can be viewed at http://www.nature.nps.gov/socialscience/vse.cfm

Visitation to Mammoth Cave is growing,” said Superintendent Sarah Craighead.  “2014 was our best year in the last ten years.  People who visit the park need gasoline, food, lodging, and additional forms of entertainment that the park does not offer.  Our neighboring communities provide these services and profit from travelers on their way to Mammoth Cave.”

Of the 523,000 people who visited the park last year, 413,000 toured Mammoth Cave.  Visitors also come to the park to use the 85 miles of trails via hiking, biking or on horseback; canoe, kayak or fish in the Green and Nolin Rivers; camp, picnic, or take a Sunday drive and have dinner at the hotel. 

“Mammoth Cave National Park is a place to recreate, rejuvenate, and relax,” added Craighead.

“National parks are world-renowned for showcasing our country’s vast natural beauty and cultural and historic heritage, and year after year, we are demonstrating that they are also economic engines in communities across the country,” Director Jarvis said. “Understanding the economic benefit contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the overall value of national park resources. Every tax dollar invested in the NPS returns $10 to the U.S. economy thanks to visitor spending in gateway communities around the 407 parks of the National Park System.”


Source: MCNP Public Info