Grand Canyon tourism a $1 billion boon to local economy

PHOENIX — A new report from the National Park Service showed that Grand Canyon tourists contributed more than $1 billion to the local economy in 2018.

The report, released Tuesday, said that 6.3 million visitors to Grand Canyon National Park spent $947 million in communities near the park.

The spending supported almost 13,000 local jobs and had a cumulative benefit of $1.2 billion to the local economy last year.

“Grand Canyon National Park welcomes visitors who come from across the country and around the world,” Sarah Creachbaum, Grand Canyon National Park acting superintendent, said in a press release. “We know that these visitors make significant contributions to the economy — local, state and national.

“The National Park Service appreciates the support of our partners and neighbors in providing services that enhance the experience of those who visit the park, and are proud to work with them in sustaining our communities.”

The 2018 numbers were an increase from the previous year.

In 2017, 6.2 million visitors to the park spent $667 million in communities near the park.

That spending helped support almost 9,500 local jobs and have a cumulative benefit of $938 million to the local economy.

The report was part of a large-scale, peer-reviewed spending analysis conducted by economists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the NPS.

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