Exploring Revenue-Generating Strategies For U.S. Parks and Recreation Areas

Demand for outdoor recreation in the U.S. is at an all-time high leading to overcrowding and overuse with North Carolina (NC) being no exception. These challenges require parks and public areas to dedicate more time, capacity, and funds to ensuring safe, enjoyable experiences for those recreating. This need led NC State Parks to explore potential management actions that increase revenue. Along with increasing revenue, central to NC State Park's mission, as with many recreation providers, is the ability to provide quality experiences for all residents which is often a trade-off when looking at ways to increase revenue. To explore these questions, the research team interviewed experts from across the U.S. working in or with local, state, and federal recreation areas to gain a better understanding of current management actions used to generate revenue, limitations to implement these management actions, and strategies used to fulfill the mission of serving all residents.