Parks give big bump to islands’ economy

In 2015 visitors spent an estimated $364.5 million in local areas while stopping at National Park Service lands in Hawaii — a total up $24 million from the previous year, the U.S. government said.

The expenditures supported 4,500 jobs in Hawaii, $170.5 million in labor income and $448.3 million in total economic output. A total of 5.4 million people visited eight parks in the state, with a ninth, Honouliuli National Monument, not yet open to the public.

America celebrates the 100th anniversary of the creation of the national park system this year.

A new report found that national parks, national wildlife refuges, national monuments and other public lands managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior hosted an estimated 443 million recreational visits in 2015 — up from 423 million in 2014 — supporting $45 billion in economic output and 396,000 jobs nationwide.

“This report sends a strong signal to everyone that the Department of the Interior is a powerful, indispensable, economic engine,” Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said in a news release.

Jewell also said that many of Interior’s activities, such as scientific research and conservation of parks, wetlands and wildlife habitat, have economic values that are not easily calculated.

Among the parks in Hawaii, the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument’s USS Arizona Memorial had 1.57 million visitors in 2015 which translated into $90 million in spending and $110 million in total economic impact factoring in park service, partner site and transportation jobs, and other contributors.

“We are honored to welcome visitors to WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument and to share with them the incredible history of this sacred place,” said Superintendent Jacqueline Ashwell. “People come from all across the country and around the world to visit the USS Arizona Memorial and the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. While they’re here they stay in hotels and eat in restaurants and take in other visitor attractions, infusing tens of millions of dollars into the local economy. We appreciate the partnership and support of our neighbors, and are glad to be able to give back to the people of Oahu in this way.”