Cape Lookout National Seashore supported 282 jobs and created $21,724,000 in economic benefits in the local economy last year. That’s according to a new national park service report which found 455,527 visitors spent $20,292,000 in communities near the park. The study also found that 88.5% of visitor spending was made by non-local visitors.
“Cape Lookout National Seashore is very proud of the positive economic impacts the park has on the local community,” said Superintendent Jeff West in a news release. “We will continue to look for ways we can support businesses and their employees.”
Visitor spending at national parks in North Carolina contributed $1.4 billion to the state’s economy. Lodging accounted for most of the spending (38.32%), followed by restaurants (20.30%), and gas (11.48%). According to the report, 18.9 million people visited National Park Service lands in North Carolina in 2019. Visitor expenditures supported 21,600 jobs and $2.1 billion in economic output in the state’s economy.
