Report: HVNP Visitor Spending Contributes $117M to Big Island Economy

Visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park in 2021 pumped nearly $120 million in to the Big Island’s economy, according to a new National Park Service report.

The 2021 National Park Visitor Spending Effects report shows that the park welcomed 1.3 million visitors, who spent an estimated $117 million in the island communities, last year. That spending also supported 1,220 jobs and had a total benefit of $154 million to the Big Island.

“Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is a World Heritage Site cherished by visitors and our community, who come to discover the active volcanoes of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, and the incredible natural and cultural resources that extend from sea level to summit,” HVNP Superintendent Rhonda Loh said in a press release. “Visitor spending benefits the island economy, and visitors who recreate responsibly, plan ahead and respect this sacred Hawaiian landscape also benefit the national park.”

The National Park Visitor Spending Effects report is prepared annually by economists from the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service. It includes information from parks and states about visitor spending, the number of jobs supported by visitor spending and other statistics.

Throughout the nation, visitor spending in communities near national parks resulted in a total of $42.5 billion going to the nation’s economy and supported 322,600 mostly local jobs, according to the report.

The eight national park units in Hawaiʻi welcomed a total of 3.9 million visitors in 2021, who spent an estimated $438 million in local communities. This spending supported a total of 4,610 jobs, and had a cumulative benefit to the state of $607 million.

The current eruption from Kīlauea volcano continues to attract thousands of visitors to HVNP each day.

Find out more about Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park by visiting the park’s website.