RecReport Research

Featuring tidbits of data pulled from the State of the Industry and Aquatic Trends survey results to expand on the initial reporting and dig deeper into industry trends, this research is published weekly in the RecReport e-newsletter.

Parks Lead the Way on All Initiatives

We asked Industry Report respondents about their involvement in a variety of initiatives related to inclusion and outreach, conservation and wellness, and in every case, park respondents were the most likely to be rising to the challenge.

Rec Centers, Parks Most Likely to Add Staff

Overall, fewer respondents to the Industry Report survey in 2023 were planning to add staff at their facilities than in 2022. In 2023, 32.6% of all respondents said they were planning to add staff at their facilities, compared with 37.1% in 2022.

Splash Play Is Top Planned Addition

2023’s Industry Report Survey shows a significant jump in the number of respondents who have plans to add features at their facilities over the next few years. In 2023, 46.6% said they had such plans, up from 39.1% in 2022, and 37.1% in 2021.

Top Challenge for Colleges? Equipment & Facility Maintenance

While the general Industry Report survey population named staffing issues as their top challenge in 2023, for college respondents, staffing issues were eclipsed by problems with equipment and facility maintenance.

Lifeguards Protect Swimmers at Majority of Facilities

According to the 2023 Industry Report survey, 83.4% of respondents with aquatics have a lifeguard on duty at their facilities.

Most Likely to Add Features? Camps!

According to the 2022 State of the Industry Report, camp respondents were more likely than their peers from other types of facilities to be planning to add more features at their facilities over the next several years.

Ys, Health Clubs Most Likely to Name Fitness a Top Concern

According to the 2022 State of the Industry Report, 38.1% of all respondents named any kind of fitness or wellness as a top concern. This includes general fitness and wellness (24.5% named it a top concern); youth fitness and wellness (16.1%) and older adult fitness and wellness (12.7%).

Youth Sports Most Likely for Southern Respondents

Respondents from the South Central region of the United States were the most likely in 2022 to report that their facilities are a home to youth sports programming. Well over half (56.9%) of respondents in the South Central region said they included youth sports activities.

Post-Pandemic, Facilities See Big Jump in Need for Staff

According to the 2022 State of the Industry Report, 37.1% of all respondents had plans to add more staff at their facilities—up from 23.2% in the 2019 report, before the pandemic.

Camps Lead the Way on Construction

According to the 2022 State of the Industry Report, 70.5% of all respondents had plans for construction, whether they were planning to build brand-new facilities, or make additions or renovations to their existing facilities. Camps were the most likely to have such plans, with 92.1% of camp respondents indicating they were planning construction.