WACO, Texas — Editor's Note: The video above is a Tracking Zac feature on the Waco Mammoth National Park from 2018
As Central Texans continue to go back to work in hopes of energizing the economy as we come out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest numbers released by the National Park Service (NPS) showed nearly $3.5 million was injected into the local economy thanks to the Waco Mammoth National Monument.
According to the report, 46,000 visitors to national park in 2020 spent upward of $2.8 million near the park. Numbers from the report said that spending helped support 40 jobs in the area and had a "cumulative benefit to the local economy of $3.5 million."
“We, along with our partners at the City of Waco, have been safely increasing access to Waco Mammoth National Monument, one park in the national system of parks that support individual and collective physical and mental wellness,” said Acting Superintendent Justin Bates. “We welcome people back to the park and are excited to share Waco Mammoth’s unique Pleistocene fossils with both new and returning visitors. We also feature the park as a way to introduce our visitors to Waco and all that the city has to offer.”
Nationwide, the report showed $14.5 billion was spent by more than 237 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. That spending, according to the report, supported 234,000 jobs across the country and the cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $28.6 billion.
Visitor spending also supported more than 43,000 jobs ($5 billion in economic output) and nearly 46,000 jobs ($3 billion) in the restaurant business. Recreation-related industries saw visitors economically support just over 18,000 jobs and spending in retail supported more 14,300 jobs, according to the report.
If you would like to learn more about Texas National Parks and how the NPS works with Texas communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment and provide outdoor recreation, click here.