Government shutdown affects National Parks, tourism
(Philadelphia) — The partial federal government shutdown has closed all National Parks, and it’s having ripple effects on the region’s tourism economy.
An analysis from AAA finds the state generates $325 million each year from tourists visiting National Parks in Pennsylvania, like the Gettysburg National Military Park.
AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Jenny Robinson says that breaks down to about $900,000 per day.
“I guess if you had to pick a time to have an impact on National Parks, now is better than the summer,” she says, “but still a lot of people like to travel during the fall. It’s a very beautiful time in Pennsylvania.”
The head of the Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau points out all privately operated museums and businesses remain open, including the Gettysburg National Military Park and Visitor Center.
A planned Ku Klux Klan rally on the battlefield, slated for Saturday, has been canceled as a result of the shutdown. The National Park Service has rescinded all permits for special events.
witf’s Matt Paul caught up with one midstate man who’s stuck in limbo — he’s the father of our own Joe Ulrich:
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