73°F
weather icon Clear

Lake tourists give local economy $336 million boost

Visitors to Lake Mead National Recreation Area spent $336 million in communities near the park during 2017, according to a new report released by the National Park Service.

The park service said the recreation area’s 7.8 million visitors supported 4,192 jobs in the area, with a cumulative benefit of $391 million to the local economy.

The previous year visitors to Lake Mead spent $312.6 million in communities near the park, supporting 4,172 local jobs and cumulatively benefiting the economy by $369 million.

“Las Vegas and its surrounding public lands offer unique experiences and natural landscapes that draw millions of people to the area every year. Lake Mead National Recreation Area celebrates being one of the premier attractions that people discover from Southern Nevada and Northern Arizona,” said Lizette Richardson, park superintendent for Lake Mead.

The 2017 spending analysis, conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the park service, shows $18.2 billion of direct spending by more than 330 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park.

The largest category of park visitor spending was lodging/camping (32.9 percent), followed by food and beverages (27.5 percent), gas and oil (12.1 percent), souvenirs and other expenses (10.1 percent), admissions and fees (10 percent) and local transportation (7.5 percent).

This spending supported 306,000 jobs nationally, with 255,900 of those jobs in gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $35.8 billion.

Nationwide, Lake Mead ranked 10th in spending in 2017, down one spot from 2016. Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia placed first, with visitors spending $1 billion last year, followed by Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee ($923 million) and Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona ($667 million).

The complete report and an interactive tool to explore visitor spending and year-by-year trends can be found at www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm.

Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.

THE LATEST
Spring Jamboree this weekend

It’s become one of the most popular annual events in Boulder City and this year is expected to be no different.

Off-road to go on-road?

“They didn’t want the apple, but do they want the orange?” asked Councilmember Sherri Jorgensen. “We’re still talking about fruit here.”

O’Shaughnessy records perfect ACT score

On Feb. 27, BCHS junior Sam O’Shaughnessy walked into the testing room to take the American College Test (better known as the ACT), hoping for a good score. Little did he know he’d walk out having done something just 3,000 students achieve each year – perfection.

Staff advises adding new full-time employees

The Boulder City governmental budget moved a couple of steps closer to its legally-mandated approval at the end of May as the city council heard revised revenue estimates and got requested additional information on a total of eight proposed new positions within the city.

What’s your sign?

In their 1971 hit entitled “Signs”, the 5 Man Electrical Band sang, “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign. Blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind. Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?”

Embracing tradition: BCHS’ grad walk celebrates success, unity

In May of 2015, a tradition began at Boulder City High School that has since become a cherished community event… the grad walk. The grad walk was initiated by me during my first year at the helm.

BCHS students win robotics competition

A trip to the workshop for the High Scalers, the robotics team at Boulder City High School in 2024 was much like a visit in 2023. Stuff used to make and practice with the robots built by the team everywhere, six or seven kids gathered there after school and a faculty advisor ensconced in the back of the room at a desk.

Mays in as interim city manager

May 8. That is City Manager Taylour Tedder’s last day working for Boulder City. In other words, Tuesday was Tedder’s final city council meeting.

Council establishes separate pool fund

Things appear to be heating up in terms of motion toward at least initial steps in Boulder City building a new pool. Those steps are not anything that residents will see for a while, but they set the stage.

BCPD closes graffiti case

Thanks to business surveillance cameras, the city’s vigilant license plate reader and “good old-fashioned detective work,” one of the most visible crimes the city has seen this year was solved and arrests made.