More than six in 10 (60.1%) park respondents to the Industry Report survey said that staffing issues were a top concern for their facility in 2023, and 55% said equipment and facility maintenance were a top concern.

While less than half (46.4%) of all respondents to the Industry Report survey in 2023 said they currently include walking and hiking trails at their facilities, more than seven out of 10 respondents from camps (76.4%) and parks (71.2%) said they currently include walking and hiking trails.

A majority of park respondents to the 2023 Industry Report survey said they were planning construction of some kind over the next three years.

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

Respondents to the Industry Report Survey from parks and camp facilities were the most likely to indicate both that they were involved in conservation initiatives and that they felt that conservation issues were a top concern for their facilities over the next several years.

More than three-quarters (76.6%) of all aquatic respondents to the Industry Report survey said they currently provide learn-to-swim programs for children at their facilities. More than half (52.9%) said they currently include swim lessons for adults in their program lineup.

Respondents from parks and Ys were the most likely to report that they currently provide adaptive sports programs in their lineup, while those from rec centers were the most likely to be planning to add adaptive sports programs over the next few years. 

After seeing a dramatic decrease in the number of people using their facilities amidst the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, attendance at parks and recreation facilities has been getting back to normal ever since. 

After a couple of rough years, when health club respondents saw the usage of their facilities decrease dramatically as the coronavirus pandemic led to shutdowns, 2022 showed things beginning to get back to business as usual.

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.