National parks bring $870 million to Tennessee

Nature lovers who visited Nationwide Parks Service land in Tennessee final 12 months spent $870 million within the surrounding communities, in response to a brand new federal report.

• That cash helped assist greater than 11,700 jobs, the federal company says.

Driving the information: The Parks Service launched a report final month tracing the financial ripple results from nationwide parks, monuments, recreation areas and different websites it oversees.

• You may dive into state and park information on-line.

State of play: Tennessee ranked seventh within the nation for park customer spending, with greater than 11 million visits to nationwide park websites inside our borders.

• Spending has been on an upward swing within the state for a number of years, though it dipped barely at first of the pandemic.
• A lot of the cash went towards lodging, eating places and gasoline.

The intrigue: The Nice Smoky Mountains drew extra spending than another location within the nationwide system.

• The sprawling park introduced in practically $1.3 billion in customer spending — though the full was divided between Tennessee and our neighbors in North Carolina.

Zoom in: Natchez Hint Parkway, which begins in Nashville and weaves by way of Alabama and Mississippi, counted 6.4 million guests and $178 million in spending throughout three states.

• Stones River Nationwide Battlefield in Murfreesboro drew greater than 365,000 visits and $23.8 million in spending.

What they’re saying: “Tennessee’s 13 nationwide parks are transformative to communities as they drive jobs, customer spending and financial worth,” Tennessee Division of Vacationer Improvement Commissioner Mark Ezell tells Axios.

Zoom out: Nationwide, practically 300 million individuals spent greater than $20 billion within the communities surrounding nationwide park areas in 2021.

💭 Adam’s thought bubble: I really like residing so near the Natchez Hint Parkway. Yearly, I decide a day to make a few of the scenic drive when the autumn leaves are at their most vibrant.

• It would not damage you can bookend your go to with a biscuit from the Loveless Cafe.