Grand Canyon visitors have more time to use shuttles

Visitors have more time to use shuttles

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz.

Visitors will have more time to take shuttles between the Grand Canyon’s South Rim and the neighboring town of Tusayan this year.

The free shuttles typically run from May to September but will be available five weeks longer through Oct. 9. The extension is being paid for by Tusayan.

The buses will run every 20 minutes from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., starting Saturday.

The shuttles help cut down on vehicle congestion inside the national park.

Grand Canyon set a record in 2015 with nearly 5.6 million visitors. The use of the shuttles jumped 64 percent, from 89,000 boardings in 2014 to 143,000 last year.

The National Park Service’s centennial this year could bring in even bigger crowds.

Tourists spent $276M in park area

INTERIOR, S.D.

The 4.2 million people who visited the Badlands and Black Hills National Park sites last year spent more than $276 million at nearby communities.

A new report from the National Park Service also shows that tourism supported 4,677 jobs in the area.

Park Superintendent Mike Pflaum says national park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy and a “big factor” in the local economy as well.

The tourism figures for the Badlands and Black Hills National Park sites are part of a national report analyzing the effects of park visitors’ spending. The report shows that park visitors in 2015 spent the most on lodging, followed by food and beverages, gas and oil, admissions and fess, and souvenirs and other expenses.

Tourism numbers hit new record

CHICAGO

The number of domestic visitors to Chicago hit a record last year, reaching nearly 51 million.

That was close to a 5 percent increase over the previous year.

An announcement last week by Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office said Chicago was one of just three U.S. cities to rack up more than 50 million visitors.

Emanuel’s office said marquee events helped boost the numbers. Those included the NFL Draft and the James Beard Foundation Awards. And this summer, Chicago and Lake Michigan will host the America’s Cup. It’s the first time in the sailing competition’s 164-year history that it will be held in a freshwater setting.

The mayor’s office said direct spending by visitors reached an estimated $14.9 billion last year.

Tourist spending near Mesa Verde

CORTEZ, Colo.

The more than 547,000 people who visited Mesa Verde National Park last year spent $55.4 million in nearby communities.

A new report from the National Park Service shows that visitor spending also supported 814 jobs in the area.

Park Superintendent Cliff Spencer says national park tourism is a “significant driver” in the national economy and a “big factor” in the local economy.

The visitor spending report shows that the funds helped support nearly 7,000 jobs throughout Colorado and had a $667 million impact on the state economy.

Geography quiz

Q. In which state is the historic Spanish Mission San Juan Capistrano?

A. California. Founded in 1775, the mission is famous for the annual return of swallows from their winter home in Argentina.

Combined dispatches