National Park Service: Haleakalā visitors contribute $56 million to neighboring communities

Visitors to Haleakalā National Park spent an estimated $56 million in communities near the park in 2024, according to a new report from the National Park Service.

The spending by 732,477 park visitors last year had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $70.2 million.

“Visitors and Maui residents alike come to Haleakalā National Park to take in the natural wonders and cultural significance,” said Superintendent Natalie Gates. “We are proud that the park also supports local economies in our gateway communities.”

The national report, titled 2024 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, found that visitors spent a total of $29 billion in communities located near national parks across the country. This spending, according to the Park Service, provided $18.8 billion in labor income and $56.3 billion in economic output to the US economy overall.

Nationally, the lodging sector received the highest direct contributions with $11.1 billion in economic output, followed by restaurants with $5.7 billion in economic output.

An interactive tool is available on the National Park Service website, along with the full report, that allows users to explore visitor spending, labor income and total economic contribution by sector for national, state and local economies. The tool also provides year-by-year trend data.

To learn more about national parks in Hawaiʻi and the work of the National Park Service, visit https://www.nps.gov/state/hi/index.htm.