Report: Great Smoky Mountains National Park generates $2.2 billion in economic benefit

A new National Park Service report says the Great Smoky Mountains National Park helped nearby communities collect over $2.2 billion in sales last year.

Other economic impacts include the Smoky spinoff of more than 33,000 jobs in North Carolina and Tennessee to serve the tourists.

A park service dashboard says visitors in the Smokies spend the most money on hotel rooms and in restaurants.

(NPS / GSMNP)