1. Yellowstone’s Gateway Communities

2. Services Available in W Yellowstone
West Yellowstone offers all the services you need while away from home including:
ATM and Banks + See Related Businesses
Auto and tire repairs, gas and automotive suppliers + See Related Businesses
Doctor, dentist, or medical services + See Related Businesses
Health and Fitness Centers + See Related Businesses
Internet access + See Related Businesses
Laundry services + See Related Businesses
Office Supplies + See Related Businesses
Packaging and Shipping services + See Related Businesses
Printers + See Related Businesses
Photo processing + See Related Businesses
Recycling + See Related Businesses
RV Repairs + See Related Businesses
Utilities, Cable, TV services + See Related Businesses

3. YNP’s Economic Impact
Headwater Economics: Independent, Nonpartisan Research

4. What is a Gateway Community?
America’s gateway communities are places adjacent to our public lands that attract visitors and residents looking for unique recreational and cultural experiences. Year-round pop < 10,000, rural & close to public lands, lack economic diversification. These communities face unique challenges—such as how to protect the assets that make them special and appealing—and often must work together with their public land partners to overcome these challenges.

5. Example: Yosemite NP
Impact of tourist $ (video) More than 95% of Yosemite visitors come from outside the gateway region, and about one out of four is from outside the U.S., according to the park service. Nonlocals accounted for nearly 99% of the money spent by all visitors in and around the park. The 2009 survey showed that visitors spent an average of more than $110 per person during their stay inside the park, and more than $242 each while they're in the gateway area. Tourists aren't the only ones spending money. The park service has a permanent staff of about 600 employees year-round, and Delaware North has about 1,100 year-round workers. Those numbers swell during the summer to about 1,100 park service employees and as many as 1,800 DNC staff.

6. Spending at Yosemite NP

7. National Economic Impact by NPS
In 2013, the National Park System received over 273 million recreation visits. NPS visitors spent $14.6 billion in local gateway regions. The contribution of this spending to the national economy was 238,000 jobs, $9.2 billion in labor income, $15.6 billion in value added, and $26.5 billion in output. The lodging sector saw the highest direct contributions with 38,000 jobs and $4.4 billion in output directly contributed to local gateway economies nationally. The sector with the next greatest direct contributions was restaurants and bars, with 50 thousand jobs and $2.9 billion in output directly contributed to local gateway economies nationally.

8. Yellowstone National Park 2013
Total Recreation Visits -- 3,188,030 Total Visitor Spending ($000s) -- $381,763 Contribution of all Visitor Spending Jobs Labor Income ($000s) -- $156,657 Value Added ($000s) -- $258,204 contribution to GDP Output ($000s) -- $451,108 total value of production

9. 2013 National Park Visitor Spending Effects Report
Report Visitors to YNP spent $451 Million in 2013 NPS spent $34 million in Yellowstone in 2013 Non-profits also bring an estimated $42 million

10. Rob Gilmore Exec Dir – N Rocky Mtn Econ Dev District
“While the rise in visitation is a financial boon to gateway towns, it also creates pressure on basic infrastructure needs such as healthcare facilities and employee housing.” The towns and the park feed off of each other. You will meet many people who came to YNP, fell in love with it, and used these cities as a base to try to earn a living where they wanted to live.

11. YNP Use Data (NPS Stats)

12. Building a Healthy Future
Wisconsin Park System Supporting Utah's Gateway Communities Shenandoah NP Gateway YNP's Gateway Communities

13. Gateway Community Toolkit Where to Find the Answers
How does our community develop a comprehensive, appropriate strategy that takes advantage of the nearby park?
Are there other organizations that offer broad guidance for gateways?
How can we improve the historic facades and structures in our downtown area so as to attract business and more suitable tourists?
How do we ensure that new businesses or developments in our town do not detract from our community's unique look and identity?
How do we ban or restrict billboards and other ugly signs in our area?
How do we help to create park-related wildlife buffer zones and corridors that protect the ecosystem?
How can we better inform visitors on the natural and cultural heritage of our region, and their role in helping to protect it?
How can we propose and support legislation that better protects our national parks?
How can we develop rural tourism offerings that take advantage of the unique character of our park and region?
Are there any existing case studies that analyze the relationship between a national park and its gateway community?
How can we tell whether our community is handling tourism in a sustainable fashion?