Economic impact of Parks Canada, 2008-2009
Executive Summary
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Parks Canada makes a substantial economic contribution to Canada’s economy. Through the spending of the organization and the visitors to Parks Canada’s National Parks, National Historic Sites and National Marine Conservation Areas, a significant and widespread economic impact is felt throughout the country.
In 2008/09 Parks Canada’s organizational spending and visitor spending totalled $3.3 billion. Of this amount, visitor spending accounted for $2.7 billion and $587 million was spent by Parks Canada on the three program areas. The overall national economic impacts derived from the spending attributed to Parks Canada on the Canadian economy are:
Gross Domestic Product $2,988 million
Labour Income $1,925 million
Employment 41,720 fulltime equivalents
Tax Revenue $218 million
National impacts by program area in 2008/09 were:
Parks Canada Program |
Economic Impact | |||
Gross Domestic Product (millions) |
Labour Income (millions) |
Employment (FTE) |
Tax Revenue | |
National Parks |
$2,405.0 |
$1,518.4 |
32,757.7 |
$161.7 |
National Historic Sites |
$440.1 |
$317.7 |
6,660.2 |
$45.6 |
National Marine Conservation Areas |
$142.7 |
$88.9 |
2,302.3 |
$10.6 |
TOTAL |
$2,987.8 |
$1,925.0 |
41,720.2 |
$217.9 |
With visitors accounting for 81.8% of total spending, it is reasonable to expect visitor spending to have the greater impact. In fact, visitor spending generates 75.5% of the GDP impacts; 75.8% of employment impacts and 62.5% of the tax impact.
Spending by non-Canadian visitors to Parks Canada locations – $1.2 billion – represents 45% of all visitor spending. The impacts generated by this non-Canadian visitor spending contributes to Canada’s balance of international payments and creates a GDP impact nationally of $967 million and adds $57.5 million to tax revenues.
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