Malls and beaches have always been popular destinations for fun, but as these institutions of money-spending fall in popularity due to financially difficult times, attendance only rises at natural alternatives.
“In the past few years, we have seen a steady increase in attendance,” Charlie Peek, public information officer for the N.C . State Park System said, “It topped out at 14.2 million visitors this year.”
The economy has been one of the main causes of this development.
“Most parks don’t charge admissions, and are thus an inexpensive alternative for people to have recreation,” Peek said. “Rather than go to the beach for a long weekend, they may go camping at a state park. They may do a day trip within 50-100 miles instead of quickly spending the money for longer trips.”
Yu-Fai Leung, an associate professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at N.C . State, agrees.
“Studies have shown that when the economy is not doing so well, people are more likely to take advantage of low cost, close to home options for recreation and state parks fall in that category. People may choose to go to the mountains or Umstead instead of elsewhere. Overall, it is a nation-wide trend.”
The weather, a more haphazard factor, is also a major player in state park attendance that should be taken into consideration.
“We have had no significant weather events in the past few years,” Peek said. “A major hurricane can close down parks for several months, as can droughts, floods and ice storms. Naturally, if the park isn’t open, people can’t visit.”
Leung also points out that there has been a big movement in our country and state to connect people with nature.
“There have been widespread campaigns and programs designed with the purpose to bring people back to nature. It’s aimed at everyone, although often focused on students and children. As a result, we have seen more and more children going to the outdoors because of that conscious effort.”
Despite the growth of attendance in state parks, their budget has actually shrunk.
“[North Carolina’s] state parks are definitely booming, but it is in despite of the budget, which was decreased from .09 percent to .07 percent,” Leung said.
“Every state agency has been hit hard by the budget crisis,” Peek said. “The parks are no exception. We’ve had cutbacks every year since 2008, and, overall, the operating budget has been trimmed about 36 million to 31 million. While we have been able to keep all the parks open and all the facilities operating in good condition, we have ended up losing a lot of personnel.”
However, the state parks have been making an effort to generate revenue, which can be hard to do since they do not charge admissions. But camping does play a huge role and, in 2009, a reservation system for camping was put in. This has resulted in a 20 percent increase in camping. As more campers come to enjoy the wilderness, revenues increase.
Despite the budget cuts, the future looks bright for the state parks’ attendance.
“The park attendance is going to continue to go up,” Peek said, “because not only are more and more people looking for and turning to outdoors recreation, but the population in North Carolina has been steadily increasing and that’s not likely to change.”
Leung shares a similarly optimistic outlook for the future.
“Even if the economy gets better and people have more disposable income, the state park attendance will still likely go up because of the strong cultural and social push to bring families and kids into nature. Our state parks are wild and natural and act as a destination location for most people.”
Sagar Patel, a junior in business administration, agrees.
“The cool thing about state parks is that there’s so many different things you can do,” Patel said. “You can go camping with your friends, go for a run or have a picnic. They offer something for everyone to enjoy, which is why they will do so well regardless of the economy.”
