NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's state parks saw 38.5 million visits in fiscal year 2021, an increase of nearly 4 million from the previous year, according to a study done for the state.

State parks generated an economic impact of $2.1 billion, a figure that includes lodging, shopping and recreation spending, according to a report completed for the Department of Environment and Conservation by the economic consulting firm Impact DataSource.

The report also relied on data collected by the University of Tennessee Human Dimensions Research Lab.

Economic impact of the state parks in the 2020 fiscal year was $1.8 billion, with 34.7 million park visits, officials said.

In 2021, the parks generated $121.8 million in state sales taxes and $24.4 million in local sales taxes, the report said.

"We saw an increase in visitors to our state parks when the pandemic hit, and these figures show the parks continue to be a strong source of enjoyment and an economic lift for communities," TDEC Deputy Commissioner Jim Bryson said.