National Parks’ Centennial Campaign Expected to Boost Outdoor Recreation

The outdoor recreation market, which currently generates more then $650 billion in annual spending, is expected to grow significantly in the coming year, according to Outdoor Recreation Outlook 2015, a new report from the American Recreation Coalition.

National parks are a major driver of the outdoor recreation marketing in the U.S. and the National Park System is kicking off its Centennial Campaign in the first quarter of 2015.

The marketing campaign, developed by Grey, includes ads and social media campaigns that aim to raise awareness of the country’s 401 parks, especially among younger urban Americans.

Part of the market’s coming growth will also be due to a rebound from Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the government shutdown in 2013, and multiple fires and floods in other parks.

The National Park Service is also part of a number of federal land management agencies that recently signed an agreement known as the 2020 Vision: Interagency Stewardship Priorities for America’s National Wilderness Preservation System that outlines a plan to protect U.S. wilderness resources and connect residents and visitors to the land.

Overall visitation to the National Park System in 2014 is already up 2.3 percent from 2013 levels, an increase of more than 5.2 million visits.

This winter, in particular, is expected to spur outdoor sales.

Snowmobile sales in the U.S. and Canada for 2014 increased 11 percent over 2013 and 2015 sales are already up more than 10 percent. While another winter of polar vortex events is bad news for many Americans, the ski industry retail market views it as means to higher in-season equipments sales.

The full report, Outdoor Recreation Outlook 2015, can be viewed below:

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