Microsoft Word 2007 ichrie conference Proceedings Final-Final 06-06-07. doc

ANALYSES AND RESULTS 
Visitor Spending Attributable to the Blue Ridge Parkway 
The selected national park data set used in this study was the Blue Ridge Parkway. The national parkway data set 
referred to annual visitation figures and was supplied by the National Park Service. There were fluctuations in 
Parkway visitor numbers from year to year because of many factors such as bad weather, construction, and 
economic recession. Overall, the visitation series of the National Park Service revealed mostly upward trends. An 
estimated 17.9 million visitors traveled to the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2005. Data from 1960 to 1995 were used to 
estimate the next two year forecasts (2006 and 2007) (Figure 1). Expenditures made by visitors traveling to the 
Parkway and during the visit in the surrounding counties of the Parkway were primarily in seven economic sectors: 
(1) accommodation, (2) food and beverages, (3) transportation, (4) entertainment and recreation, (5) souvenirs, (6) 
film, and (7) other trip costs.

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