After seeing a dramatic decrease in the number of people using their facilities amidst the beginning of the pandemic in
2020, attendance at park facilities has been getting back to normal ever since. In 2022, more than two-thirds (67.8%) of park respondents said the number of people using their facilities increased over the previous year. Another 20.2% reported no change, and 12% said the number of people using their facilities decreased in 2022.
In 2023, more than seven out of 10 park respondents (70.7%) expect the number of people using their facilities to increase, while 27% expect no change, and 2.3% expect a decrease. Expectations for 2024 are fairly similar, with 68.2% expecting the number of people using their facilities to increase, 31.2% expecting no change, and just 0.6% expecting a decrease.
Parks are reacting to this demand with plans for new and renovated facilities. Nearly three-quarters (74.3%) of park respondents indicated that they have plans for construction over the next several years. This compares with 62.4% of non-park respondents. More than half (54%) of park respondents were planning renovations to their existing facilities, down from 62.9% in 2022. More than one third had plans to make additions to their existing facilities (36.7%, up from 31.5%), or build new facilities (34.3%, down from 40.4% in 20220).