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National Parks, Tourism, and Foreign Visitors


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#1 DirtyDog

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Posted 10 April 2011 - 06:37 PM

As someone mentioned in another thread, a lot of Europeans and other international tourists visit our parks. I consider it one of our exports. Has anyone seen any data on the overall money spent on tourism and the overseas money spent in the US as part of visits to the parks? Let's see if we can compile some data here.
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#2 highz

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Posted 10 April 2011 - 10:19 PM

I've been looking around and can't find much on this. I'm surprised the NPS doesn't appear to keep statistics on foreign/domestic visits (or I haven't found them yet). Here are some numbers I have found:

The total annual revenue from entrance fees is "well over $100 million" (source: http://www.nationalp...rk-system7532). That's just entrance fees - not overnight or concession fees etc.

Elsewhere, I quoted the total attendance at NPS sites in 2010 as 281,303,769. (source: http://www.nature.np...ract_2010.pdf). So, that's less than $0.40 per head. Either a lot of people are carpooling or arriving in buses, or ...?

Here is the forecast of international tourism arrivals to the US for 2011 from the US Dept. of Commerce. Of course, this just sets an upper limit, and I have no clue what percentage go to NPs, and how many visit more than one NP, etc.
2011 estimated foreign arrivals: 61,423,000

So, even if every foreign visitor went to one NPS unit (pretty unlikely), they would account for just under 22 percent of all visits. I'm sure they could account for more than that at the more famous parks and much less at the others.

I'll keep snooping around for more info. I did come across this link, which I found pretty depressing, because it shows where people's priorities are: http://www.nps.gov/p..._statistics.htm
2 percent to environment and animals in 2009...
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#3 Casa Escarlata Robles Too

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Posted 11 April 2011 - 12:01 AM

As someone mentioned in another thread, a lot of Europeans and other international tourists visit our parks. I consider it one of our exports. Has anyone seen any data on the overall money spent on tourism and the overseas money spent in the US as part of visits to the parks? Let's see if we can compile some data here.



When ever we are at an NP and come across foreign visitors I talk to them, and they are so amazed at what we have here ,that for the most part we take for granted.They truly enjoy our areas and they seem to go by the rules.It's usually the americans who ignore the rules.I know this is a generalization but this is what I do see.I enjoy seeing foreigners come and wow over our public lands.I wish more americans would feel the same respect for what we have.

Enough soap box.

Frank
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#4 clikrf8

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Posted 11 April 2011 - 03:01 AM

In the last several years I have been to Death Valley, Yosemite, Zion (including Kolob area), Bryce, Capitol Reef, Grand Canyon, Cedar Breaks, Grand Staircase, Valley of Fire, Snow Canyon, Goblin Valley, Kodachrome Basin, Bodie, Mono Lake, Cathedral Gorge, Bristlecone Pine, Red Rocks, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, and places that should be protected but aren't (San Rafael Swell prominent among them). Most tourists from overseas are on the tour bus circuit, so unless you frequent the main overlooks, you won't encounter too many. We are usually up early for pre-sunrise shoots so rarely run into anyone except other photographers or people who like sunrises. But for sunset, the odds lengthen for crowd encounters, especially at iconic viewpoints as Bryce's Sunset Pt or Yosemite's Tunnel View.

Other foreign visitors, especially Europeans, love our Southwest because it is so unique as is our cowboy history. As mentioned above, most are respectful to our parks and open spaces. And quite a few speak better English than many Americans. Because they have longer vacations than we typically have at home, they will spend 2-3-4 weeks here, renting a car, van or RV. I think we take our national parks, state parks, open space for granted, as it IS our idea. We Westerners are probably more jaded than others as we have larger, more famous parks than other parts of the country.

As stated above, most foreign visitors are in awe of our country but people are people everywhere. A few must be completing a bucket list as they drive way over the speed limit (Yosemite is really bad on those hairpins), passing you to stop at the next overlook that you also stop at. I have talked to rangers who acknowledge the speed problem (kills bears, people, other wild life) but funds are tight and what can they do.

Statistics? AS stated not much out there for an objective tally but many come to our parks from all over. I read that the Europeans discovered our Southwest about 20 years ago and now the word is out. I encountered Czechs, Poles, Russians, East Indians, Chinese so not just the Western Europeans visit. Hopefully they will continue to come so those small towns along Utah's Hwy 12 won't dry up and blow away.
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