Analysis of the Economic Structures and Tourism Impacts on National Park Gateway Communities
Bohensky C. 2012. Analysis of the Economic Structures and Tourism Impacts on National Park Gateway Communities. Shippensburg University. Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
ABSTRACT: This paper will look at the economic structure of gateway communities to national parks through the lens of economic geography or the study of location, distribution and spatial organization of economic activities across an area. Broadly defined, a gateway community is a small community that is close to public lands and acts as a point of entrance or exit to a certain area. My study will focus on the comparison of four gateway communities to national parks in order to determine the similarities and differences in their economies based on tourism and recreation. Travel and tourism are major influences on the communities surrounding national parks, this analysis will seek to determine the economic structure of gateway communities and how much of an influence tourism plays on their respective economies. The results will also be used to identify economic trends associated with gateway communities.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Bohensky, Christina
- Date of Issue
- 2012-04-09
- Publisher
- Shippensburg University
- Units
- ACAD , GRSM , ROMO , YELL
- Keywords
- APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, economics, gateway communities, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM, park visitors, recreation, SER, social science, Southeast Region, tourism