Zion National Park visitation drops by 3.5%

ZION NATIONAL PARK (AP) — Visitation at Zion National Park has declined 3.5 percent this summer.

It's the first time since 2006 that the park hasn't increased its attendance numbers over the previous year.

In the 91 years the park has kept attendance records, 22 have had lower attendance than the previous year. Many of those years came in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

"We're almost exactly where we were in 2007," said Zion spokesman Erik DeGroat, adding that 2008 and '09 were record-breaking years. "The difference we're talking about is a couple hundred thousand. When you're talking about almost 3 million (total visitors), it isn't huge."

The effect of the attendance drop on nearby businesses is unclear.

"I don't know that there's a direct correlation," said Dean Cooke, Zion Canyon Visitor's Bureau president. "In 2009, they had a great year, and everyone in town was down a bit."

Park officials say they can't pinpoint a specific reason for the decline, but construction may be one reason.

"I think there are maybe certain groups who looked ahead and said they don't want to deal with it," DeGroat said. "But I don't think it deterred a lot of people."

The economic climate also may have played a role in the park's decline in attendance, he said.

"In 2008, the euro was very strong, and we had a lot of European visitors," DeGroat said, adding the boost in 2009 was likely a result of locals saving money by vacationing nearby. "We speculate it was probably people doing a 'staycation.' It's a cheaper vacation for people to come here in difficult economic times."