A new National Park Service (NPS) report lists the following 2017 economic data for the three National Park sites:
In 2017, 33,082 visitors to Buck Island Reef National Monument spent $2 million in the local communities, which supported 23 jobs in the local area and resulted in a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $2.5 million.
The 96,780 visitors to Christiansted National Historic Site spent $5.5 million in local communities, which supported 69 jobs in the local area and resulted in a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $7.2 million.
Additionally, 10,568 visitors to Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve spent $604,200 in the local communities, which supported seven jobs in the local area and resulted in a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $788,500.
The total cumulative economic benefit of the three national parks on St. Croix was more than $10.5 million in visitor spending in 2017, supporting nearly 100 jobs in the local communities.
“We welcome visitors from across the country and around the world,” said Acting Superintendent Pennington. “We are delighted to share the story of St. Croix and the experiences the national parks provide. We are honored to introduce our visitors to this part of the Caribbean and all that it offers.”
To learn more about national parks in the U.S. Virgin Islands and how NPS works with V.I. communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/virginislands or contact the NPS at 773-1460.
