Wednesday, January 6, 2010

National Park Visitation and Tent Camping Statistics on the Rise

It's that time of year -- to see how the recession affected our actions in 2009. While statistics have shown that many businesses and organizations have suffered as a result of the recession, visitation numbers from the National Park Service reveal growth in outdoor activities.

Overall visitation to the National Parks had been decreasing since 1996, and tent camping had been falling short since 2003. However, according to the 2009 statistics, this year marked a 6.24% increase in tent camping and a 4.3% increase in overall visitation. These statistics suggest, as many researchers have hypothesized, that in difficult economic times people spend their vacations closer to home. And recreating outdoors is a great way to spend a vacation!

Check out the Outdoor Industry Association's article about the National Park Service's statistics here.

1 comment:

Walter Tully said...

I also think it's because outdoor activities and recreations are the most efficient way to enjoy a weekend with your family w/o spending too much money! Parks and wildlife reserves at Glendale are currently a favorite venue by families who want to bond during the weekends! It's much more affordable compared to having a trip or going to a resort or carnival. At any rate, this news tells us that great things will soon happen for our National parks.