Map: 15 National Parks Most Affected by the October Shutdown
The October 2013 government shutdown cost local communities over $414 million in tourism and visitor spending, says the National Park Service.
As reported last week by Government Executive, the National Park Service (NPS) recently announced that October 2013’s 16-day government shutdown resulted in an economic loss $414 million to “gateway communities” surrounding over 401 NPS-managed sites. This estimate (approximately $25 million per shutdown day) comes from the 7.9 million decrease in park visitors that month who otherwise would have spent tourism money at local communities and small businesses.
Below is a map of the 15 national parks that endured the greatest economic impact during the October shutdown. Many of these regions are among the most commonly visited tourist locations in the United States and include tourism regions spanning over 16 states. Combined, their economic losses total $164 million, which can be attributed to a decline of 2.4 million visitors -- a 41% drop compared to previous October averages.
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