UT Tyler Analyzes Economic Impact of Caldwell Zoo on Smith County

Office of Marketing and Communications

April 21, 2022

Media Contact: Beverley Golden
Senior Director of Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.566.7303

The University of Texas at Tyler Hibbs Institute for Business and Economic Research recently partnered with the Caldwell Foundation to examine the economic impact of the Caldwell Zoo on Smith County.

“It had been over 20 years since we did any kind of economic impact study for the zoo,” said Hayes Caldwell, president and CEO of the Caldwell Foundation. “The zoo was originally opened to benefit our community, and after nearly seven decades, we continue to strive to be a valuable resource to our guests as well as all of East Texas.”

The study examined annual operations, capital spending and gift/café sales during 2015-19; the ripple effect estimate of such business activities was $70 million of total output, supporting an average of 158 jobs each year in the Tyler metro area.

A ripple effect in this context occurs when an expense made locally (such as zoo supplies, capital investment, salaries) creates a sequence of spending events that benefits several directly and indirectly related businesses in a locality (restaurants, retail stores, local providers, etc.).

The study also reveals the economic impacts associated with local expenses (lodging, food, transportation, etc.) made by out-of-Tyler visitors in 2021, which were estimated using data collected at the zoo via a consumer satisfaction survey and totaling $8.2 million with 89 jobs supported.

“Results from the survey indicate the non-Tyler resident who visits the Caldwell Zoo generates a considerable impact on the economy in the Tyler metro area” said Dr. Manuel Reyes, Hibbs Institute acting director and senior research analyst.

Finally, the Hibbs Institute estimated the local impacts on the 2021-25 projected business activities of the Caldwell Zoo, which adds up to $85 million with 182 jobs supported each year. “Ultimately, the overall economic benefits derived from the Caldwell Foundation activities are substantial to the Tyler metro area,” said Reyes.

“We partnered with the Hibbs Institute to better understand how the zoo economically benefits the Tyler area. Working with the institute gave us comfort in knowing that they had a good understanding of our operation,” Caldwell said.

The Hibbs Institute is designed to help businesses, regional economic development councils and local governments expand business activity in greater East Texas. It offers complimentary and for-hire products and services. For more information, visit uttyler.edu/hibbs-institute.

With a mission to improve educational and healthcare outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs to 10,000 students. UT Tyler recently merged with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (now known as UT Tyler Health Science Center). Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center (HSC) and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.