Posted on July - 07 - 2011
Memphis Zoo scores high in economic impact study
The Memphis Zoo is the state’s fourth largest tourism attraction.
While it’s no secret that the Memphis Zoo is a main attraction for locals and tourists alike, a new survey reveals that the facility’s popularity creates a financial ripple effect that continues to expand.
According to a study conducted by the nonprofit Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the zoo “generates significant economic benefits locally, regionally and nationally.”
“The Memphis Zoo supports themunity in more ways than one,” said Jim Maddy, president and CEO of AZA. “Not only does Memphis Zoo have a deepmitment to science, education and wildlife conservation, but it also generates valuable economic benefits to the region.”
Among the statistics featured in the report are the zoo’s number of employees (250); the amount it spends annually on goods and services ($14 million); and the number of visitors it attracts each year (950,000). Of those visits, 90,000 are school children.
“We’re the fourth-most popular tourist attraction in the state and the most popular in West Tennessee,” said zoo president and CEO Chuck Brady. “We typically draw visitors from a 200-mile radius and we’re constantly working to increase that range. It’s great to be recognized for the significant economic benefits we generate for Memphis and the region.”
In addition to the benefits produced by the Memphis facility, the report shows that AZA-accredited Tennessee zoos and aquariums generate $158 million in economic activity per year and $53.5 million in salaries and wages from 1,719 jobs.
The AZA employed economist Dr. Stephen Fuller topile the state-by-state analysis. The report included 212 AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums across the nation, which serve more than 179 million visitors each year.
“Annual spending by zoos and aquariums for operations and capital projects generate significant economic benefits for their host jurisdictions. These benefits build from the initial outlays, as they are re-spent across the breadth of the economy,” Fuller said in the report. “These benefits accumulate and expand the economy’s total output as measured by their contributions to Gross Domestic Product and respective Gross State Products. These benefits also generate new personal earnings to the benefit of workers residing in the host jurisdictions and support job growth locally, regionally ands nationally.”
For more on the report, go to aza.org/PressRoom/NationalEconomicImpact/
The Memphis Zoo
Origin: Founded in 1906
Location: 2000 Prentiss Place, covering 76 acres in Overton Park
Animals: More than 3,500, representing more than 500 different species
Accolades: Named top zoo in the country by TripAdvisor in 2009
Capital outlay: More than $93 million spent on renovations and expansion in the last two decades
Online: memphiszoo.org
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