A 1981 Island Resources Foundation study examined the direct economic costs and benefits associated with tourism and recreational use of VINP. Against total annual costs of about $2.1 million in the early 1980s, the study identified benefits more than ten times larger, totaling $23.3 million ($3.3 million in direct benefits and $20.0 million in indirect benefits).
Although the VINP study focused on a subset of park-related benefits, the results clearly demonstrated VINP's importance to the local economy.