Virginia State Parks stimulate more than $224m in visitor spending
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The figure comes from a new economic impact report compiled by the Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business as part of an ongoing partnership with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, the agency that manages Virginia State Parks.
In addition to a substantial positive impact on the value of nearby real estate, the report found that the economic activity stimulated by Virginia State Parks yielded approximately $19.6 million in tax revenue for the Commonwealth last year.
“This report gives us a new baseline from which we’ll measure all state parks economic activity in the future,” said Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Director Clyde Cristman.
“Previously, we used decades-old calculations and multipliers to arrive at the numbers. We are continuously collecting customized spending information from thousands of visitors on line and in writing.
“ We’re also using a special computer program, called IMPLAN, for our calculations. With this new process in place, we expect to have more precise figures that we’ll continue to refine every year.” ■