A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 471,077 visitors to Fort Pulaski National Monument in 2022 spent $34,286,000 in communities near the park. That spending supported 429 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $43,314,000.
“Fort Pulaski welcomes visitors from the Savannah and around the world,” said Superintendent Melissa Memory. “We are happy to be able to share the stories of the Monument and the numerous experiences it provides. We also appreciate the partnerships and support of our neighbors and are very fortunate to be part of the thriving heritage tourism and outdoor recreation communities in Coastal Georgia.”
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists at the National Park Service. The report shows $23.9 billion of direct spending by nearly 312 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 378,400 jobs nationally; 314,600 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $50.3 billion.
As for the economics of visitor spending, the lodging sector had the highest direct effects, with $9 billion in economic output nationally. The restaurants sector was had the second greatest effects, with $4.6 billion in economic output nationally.
Report authors also produce an interactive tool that enables users to explore visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value added, and output effects by sector for national, state and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available at the NPS Social Science Program webpage.
To learn more about national parks in Georgia and how the National Park Service works with Georgia communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to nps.gov/GEORGIA.
Fort Pulaski National Monument is located on U.S. Highway 80, 15 miles east of Savannah. For more information, please visit the park website at nps.gov/FortPulaski
