Tourism at southern West Virginia national parks boosts local economy with $96.5 million in spending

GLEN JEAN, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Tourism at three national parks in southern West Virginia has significantly bolstered the local economy, contributing $96.5 million in 2023, according to a recent report by the National Park Service (NPS).

The report highlights that the spending by the 1.9 million visitors to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, Gauley River National Recreation Area, and Bluestone National Scenic River supported 1,268 jobs in nearby communities.

The overall benefit to the local economy totaled $116.5 million.

NPS Director Chuck Sams expressed pride in the enduring impact of the parks, noting that over 300 million visitors annually contribute to local economies and job creation nationwide.

“I’m just as proud to see those visitors making positive impacts of their own,” Sams said.

Park Superintendent Charles Sellars pointed to a larger trend of increased tourism spending across West Virginia. He emphasized that the three parks have played a crucial role in boosting revenue for local counties and, by extension, other areas en route to these destinations.

The report also reveals a 9% increase in visitor spending and a 10% rise in jobs supported by tourism compared to 2022. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve emerged as the most popular site, attracting the highest visitor spending at $86.1 million.

The primary spending sectors were lodging (27%), restaurants (22%), gas (17%), and groceries (14%). The top job-supporting sectors included restaurants (25%), lodging (22%), recreation (10%), and retail (7%).

The NPS report, titled 2023 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, found that 325.5 million visitors spent $26.4 billion in communities near national parks nationwide.

This spending supported 415,400 jobs and contributed $55.6 billion in economic output to the U.S. economy.

The lodging and restaurant sectors saw the most significant contributions, with $9.9 billion and $5.2 billion in economic output, respectively.

For those interested, an interactive tool is available on the NPS website to explore visitor spending, job creation, and economic contributions at the national, state, and local levels, along with year-by-year trend data.