Report touts National Lakeshore's economic benefit to region

A report issued Monday by the National Park Service shows visitors to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in 2012 pumped close to $60 million into the local economy.

"Surveys indicate 80 percent of visitors come from outside the immediate area and 60 percent of park visitors come from outside the state," National Lakeshore Superintendent Constantine Dillion said in a statement issued Tuesday.

The money spent by visitors supported more than 800 local jobs, according to the report, primarily in the lodging, food and beverage service industries.

Figures for 2011 showed a similar trend.

The information comes in an annual analysis of National Park Service properties conducted by Michigan State University.