Published on : Tuesday, May 15, 2018
The tourism expenditure of North Dakota supported 643 jobs in the areas surrounding the park, Fort Union Trading Post and Knife River Indian Villages and had a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $56.7 million.
Park Superintendent Wendy Ross said that the North Dakota National Parks protect cherished resources and they are a significant driver in the state’s tourism economy.
North Dakota welcomed the visitors from across the country and around the world to experience these special places. The tourism board appreciates the partnership and support of our neighbours. They are glad to be able to give back by helping to sustain local communities.
The peer-reviewed spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service.
According to the report, the visitor spending across North Dakota national sites is down slightly from 2016, when visitors were estimated to spend around $50 million, but is still up significantly from the previous four years when visitors spent an average of $36.6 million from 2012-2015.
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site is near Williston and Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site is located near Stanton. Theodore Roosevelt National Park has a north unit near Watford City and a south unit in Medora.
According to the report, there were 552 jobs supported by spending around Theodore Roosevelt National Park in 2017, with 157 being in the hotel industry and another 139 in the restaurant business. The spending also supported 57 retail jobs in 2017, the report data said.
Tags: North Dakota, Tourism, Travel, US