Visitors to Connecticut’s state parks spent $997 million on tourism and outdoor activities in 2010, according to an economic impact study from the University of Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis.
Of the money spent by state park visitors, $544 million came for general tourism activities, such lodging, meals and groceries; $264 million for fishing activities; $100 million from hunting; $36.8 million from recreational boating; $26.2 million from skiing and education; $18.3 million from camping and activity fees; and $10.9 million on fishing, hunting and boating licenses.
This spending by state park visitors directly and indirectly supports 8,800 jobs — 2,100 of which wouldn’t exist without the parks. Personal income from these jobs was $343 million.
“It is no secret that Connecticut has some of the most beautiful state parks and forests in the country that provide countless outdoor recreational activities to our residents and visitors,” said Dan Esty, commissioner of the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, which operates the state parks. “This study now demonstrates that our parks and forests also make a significant contribution to our state’s economy.”
For every $1 the state spends on the park system, the economy receives $38 in activity, according to the report.
The study found the parks also raise the values for the surrounding private properties adjacent to the state land. In 2010, this net private property value benefit reached $309 million, generating an addition $5.4 million in tax revenue for local municipalities.
