National park visitors increase in Hawaii by 6 percent

HONOLULU (AP) - Some 5.2 million people visited Hawaii’s seven national parks last year, bringing huge economic benefits to the islands.

A National Park Services report released Thursday said the 6 percent increase in visitors generated about $417.3 million in economic impact, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported (https://bit.ly/1zVgsRO). The increase also helped create 4,202 jobs, nearly 15 percent more than what 2013 generated.

The 311,120 added visitors boosts direct visitor spending to $304.5 million, a 10 percent uptick from 2013. The effect of that spending drove cumulative economic output up by 10 percent.

“The national parks of Hawaii attract visitors from across the country and around the world,” said Pacific West Regional Director Chris Lehnertz. “Whether they are out for an afternoon, a school field trip or a monthlong vacation, visitors come for a great experience and end up spending some money along the way.”

The national parks in Hawaii include Haleakala National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site, and World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument.

With four of those parks on Hawaii island, the economic impact was particularly strong there. Park visitors spent more than $175 million near these parks.

Hawaii’s park visitation mirrored the rest of the nation, where visitation increased across the board. The national report, which was conducted by U.S. Geological Survey economists, shows 292.8 million park visitors pumped $15.7 billion of direct spending into communities within 60 miles of a national park.

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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, https://www.staradvertiser.com