UPPER DELAWARE VALLEY  — The heat of summer saw the Delaware River enjoying another economic boom.

According to a recent National Park Service (NPS) estimate, 327,000 visitors to the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River in 2023 made sales totaling $16.6 million in the nearby towns. 

According to the NPS, the expenditure benefited the local economy by $21 million over time and supported 157 jobs in the area.

“That is great to hear that returning and new people are finding the Upper Delaware and spending money,” said Laurie Ramie, the Executive Director of the Upper Delaware Council. “Tourism is definitely an important factor to take into consideration.”

According to the National Park Service report, 2023 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, the local communities surrounding national park locations saw 325.5 million visitors spend $26.4 billion. 

In addition to supporting 415,400 jobs, this spending gave the US economy $55.6 in economic output and $19.4 billion in labor income. With $9.9 billion in economic output and 89,200 jobs, the lodging industry made the most direct contributions. 

Ramie believes that people who visit the Upper Delaware are very respectful of the natural resources.

She also notes that the Upper Delaware has the designation of Special Protection Waters (SPW) by the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) which contributes to the health of the river.

“Not every section of the river enjoys that,” noted Ramie.

The second largest direct contributions came from restaurants, generating $5.2 billion in economic production.

The Upper Delaware Council has found that, regarding the river after the summer, there hasn’t been any degredation in any way to the river.

“We understand that public access spots get the most attention [from visitors],” said Ramie. “I think visitors understand that they are responsible for picking up after themselves and current residents shouldn’t be responsible for the cleaup of visitors’ garbage.”

To investigate visitor expenditure, employment, labor income, and the overall economic contribution by sector for the national, state, and local economies, an interactive tool is available. Also, users can view trend data by year. Read the report and use the interactive tool at www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.