A study by Tourism Economics found the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens – one of the premier recreational and cultural attractions in the Greater Palm Springs region – has a total annual economic impact of $148 million with more than 616,000 guests during the 2022-2023 season through general daytime attendance, signature special events, and educational opportunities and programs. The Zoo’s economic impact supports 1,484 part-time and full-time jobs annually, generating $17.9M in state and local taxes.
Contributing to the Zoo’s economic success and total $530 Million impact over the last five years are a number of significant investments including new beautiful and immersive habitats, exciting and impactful guest experiences, and unwavering commitment to saving wildlife.
“The Living Desert is a world-class organization welcoming over 2.5M visitors over the last five years, while providing the highest standard of animal care and engaging our communities with impactful conservation and education programs,” said Allen Monroe, President/CEO of The Living Desert. “The economic impact generated by our organization is significant – creating jobs, boasting local tax revenues, and positively contributing to the overall economy.”
For over 53 years, The Living Desert operated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that received no ongoing tax support. In recent years however, the organization has turned to Palm Desert and Indian Wells, home cities for the attraction, for direct support.
In 2019, the City of Palm Desert allocated $200,000 per year over five years to The Living Desert and the City of Indian Wells agreed to $100,000 per year for the same period. Going forward, the organization is asking 5-10 million each from the two cities over the next 5 years to support ongoing operations and growth.
Future and planned capital investments that deepen the Zoo’s commitments to conservation, animal care, and guest experience include:
- Parking Lot Expansion – Opening Summer 2024, an expanded parking lot will offer an additional 230 parking spaces including 64 with EV charging stations, providing a better guest experience.
- Marketplace Cafe and Splash Park – With an estimated opening in the Fall of 2024, the new marketplace and cafe will offer a variety of food and beverage options and the Splash Park will offer guests an immersive play and learning experience.
- Lion Ridge and Lurie Event and Conference Center – Marking the completion of the Pride of the Desert capital campaign estimated in the Fall of 2026, the expansion will build three lion habitats and a 500-seat special event center with 180 views into the lion habitats.
The economic impact study reviewed the impact of current and future capital investments planned by The Living Desert. It showed that following the completion of Lion Ridge and Lurie Event and Conference Center, The Living Desert is expected to generate a total annual economic impact of $215.1M, which includes $80M in total labor income, supporting 2,150 part-time and full-time jobs and generating $25.3M in state and local tax revenues. In addition to the one-time capital expenditure impacts, the Zoo will generate a total economic impact of $62.8M during the construction of Lion Ridge and Lurie Event and Conference Center.
About the Study:
The Living Desert’s Economic Impact Study was completed in August 2023 by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, one of the world’s foremost independent global advisory firms with headquarters in Philadelphia, PA and Oxford, England. The time period evaluated was The Living Desert’s fiscal year July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023 and also included evaluations from 2018-2023.
About The Living Desert:
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is a nonprofit, accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, ensuring the highest standards of all aspects of animal care, education, conservation, public service, and operations. The Zoo is active in conservation research, habitat protection, breeding programs and education initiatives around the world, as well as in its own community. The Zoo has been a top destination in the Palm Springs area for 50 years.
Read About TLD History: Interview with Karen Sausman, retired director of The Living Desert
The Living Desert is located at 47900 Portola Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92260. For more information: (760) 346-5694 or visit www.livingdesert.org.
