Big South Fork visitors spent $24.3M in nearby communities

ONEIDA, Tenn. (AP) — The National Park Service says visitors to Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area last year spent $24.3 million in communities near the park. According to a news release from the park, Big South Fork had 773,000 visitors, and their spending supported 295 jobs in the local area. Big South Fork Superintendent Niki Stephanie Nicholas says the park has been safely increasing access since the beginning of the pandemic. The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists with the National Park Service and the US Geological Survey.