National park service visitation rebounded in 2014 in Hawaii, generating an estimated $417.3 million in economic benefits.

Some 5.2 million people, or just over 6 percent more than in 2013, visited Hawaii’s seven national parks last year, according to a visitor spending report Thursday by the National Park Service.

The 311,120 added visitors bolstered direct visitor spending to $340.5 million, which represented a gain of about 10 percent over 2013. The park service estimated that 2014 spending created 4,202 jobs, nearly 15 percent more than were generated in 2013. The direct spending created a trickle-down impact that drove cumulative economic output up by 10 percent.

"The national parks of Hawaii attract visitors from across the country and around the world," said Pacific West Regional Director Chris Lehnertz. "Whether they are out for an afternoon, a school field trip or a monthlong vacation, visitors come for a great experience and end up spending some money along the way."

The national parks in Hawaii include Haleakala National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, Pu‘uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, Pu‘ukohola Heiau National Historic Site, and World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument.

Hawaii island, which is home to four of these national parks, saw particularly strong results. According to the report, as many as 2.28 million people in 2014 visited Hawaii island’s national parks and spent more than $175 million in communities near these parks. That spending supported 2,162 jobs on the island and had a cumulative benefit to the local community of $248 million.

"The popularity of the national parks of Hawaii island is no surprise as Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the most popular attraction on the island and sometimes the state. Hawaii island as a whole has seen increases in visitor arrivals, length of stay and total spending over the last few years, and we can attribute this success to the popularity of these amazing attractions," said Ross Birch, executive director of the Big Island Visitors Bureau.

Indeed, 2014 visitation was up 6.9 percent at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park alone.

"It’s heartening to again report an increase in both visitation to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the significant economic impact park visitors have by spending money and creating jobs in our local community," said Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando.

Hawaii’s results mimicked the nation as a whole, said Craig Dalby, chief of the public information program for NPS’ Pacific West Region.

"Visitation in 2014 rebounded from a 2013 decline that included a 16-day government shutdown, though there were factors in other parts of the country that led to declines in 2013, including the impacts from Hurricane Sandy," Dalby said. "National Park System visitation has been relatively consistent over the last five years but increased by more than 7 percent from 2013 to 2014. In fact, several national parks saw record-breaking visitation in 2014, including Joshua Tree, Rocky Mountain, Grand Teton and Glacier national parks."

Lehnertz said the new report shows that national park tourism is a significant driver for the U.S. economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service. According to the 2014 report, lodging accounted for 30.6 percent of visitor spending at national parks. About 20.3 percent of visitor spending also went to gas and oil, 10.2 percent to admissions and fees, and 9.9 percent to souvenirs and other expenses.

The national report, which was conducted by U.S. Geological Survey economists, shows 292.8 million park visitors pumped $15.7 billion of direct spending into communities that were within 60 miles of a national park. Spending by national park visitors throughout the U.S. supported 277,000 jobs and added an estimated $29.7 billion in cumulative economic benefits to the U.S. economy.