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National Parks & Other Nature Institutions - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Michal Dalal Michal Dalal New York, United States Last Updated: May 2025 NAICS 71219

Revenue

$1.0bn

2025

$1.0bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XX.Xm

Employees

9,241

Businesses

1,000

Wages

$XXX.Xm

National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry analysis

The past year has proved turbulent for the US national parks and nature institutions industry, marked by soaring visitor numbers but mounting operational distress. A visitation record was set in 2024; over 331.0 million people flocked to national parks, driven by both pent-up domestic demand and a notable surge in international tourists. Yet even as public interest in outdoor recreation hits never-before-seen highs, the institutions tasked with maintaining and protecting these resources have been thrown into turmoil. Widespread layoffs, a persistent hiring freeze and deepening budget cuts have severely disrupted core services, forcing closures, curtailment of programming and reduced emergency response capacity at many parks. Financial constraints, intensified by a February 2025 spending freeze, directly fuel everything from trail maintenance to the most basic facility upkeep, exposing the stark mismatch between record demand and shrinking resources. Revenue stagnated over the last few years, rising 2.1% in 2025 and reaching $1.0 billion that year.

Trends and Insights

  • Deep staff and funding cuts have strained national parks. Layoffs, hiring freezes, and new spending limits have left parks with skeleton crews and mounting maintenance backlogs, making it tough to serve record-breaking crowds or keep up with basic visitor needs.
  • The size and scope of services offered by national parks and other nature institutions vary significantly. Revenue is calculated based on self-generated funds, private donations and grants, admission and membership fees, tours and educational services, concession sales and entertainment fees.
  • National parks and other nature institutions are generally concentrated in regions with the highest share of the US population. Households are the primary users of park services, so park attendance correlates with the number of households.
  • National parks and other nature institutions experience a moderate level of market share concentration. Over the past five years, the industry's market share concentration decreased at a regular pace.
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 0.0 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $1.0bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

National parks are struggling following widespread layoffs and hiring freezes

  • National parks' operation relies on the physical work of in-person employees, as there are few areas where automation is possible. Workers at national parks mainly do maintenance and trail construction, provide visitor services and run education and research programs. Following significant workforce reductions, critical functions have been disrupted at parks across the United States. According to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), an estimated 13.0% of National Park Service (NPS) staff have left since January 2025. Thanks to a combination of layoffs, pressured buyouts, early retirements and deferred resignation programs, roughly 2,500 positions have been eliminated. This includes about 1,000 layoffs in February as part of a downsizing initiative announced by the Trump administration in partnership with Elon Musk. An additional 700 employees opted into deferred resignation, agreeing to remain on payroll through September but leaving their roles vacant ahead of the peak visitor season.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
National Parks & Other Nature Institutions
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Proposed budget cuts threaten future of nature institutions

  • The 2026 federal budget proposed in May 2025 signals the most significant reduction in the NPS’s 109-year history; over $1.2 billion cuts from a $4.8 billion baseline. The plan calls to reduce the NPS operations budget by $900 million, slashing $158 million from historic preservation, $77 million from reservation and preservation funding and $73 million from national park construction. These reductions will directly impact park maintenance, staff, repair schedules and the overall visitor experience in the years ahead.

Biggest companies in the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue ($short_0)
2025
Profit ($short_0)
2025
Profit Margin (%)
2025

There are no companies that hold a large enough market share in the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry for IBISWorld to include in this product.

Products & Services Segmentation

National Parks & Other Nature Institutions
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Donations and grants, Other and Admissions and membership fees. Donations and grants is the largest segment of the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions.

Trends and Insights

Donations and grants declined substantially as many consumers experienced financial uncertainty

  • While almost all nature institutions rely on state, local or federal government funding to keep operations afloat, these budgets are not included in industry revenue.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

National parks and other nature institutions preserve and exhibit natural areas or settings. These include national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, natural wonder tourist attractions and similar institutions. Revenue is based on park-generated revenue and excludes state and city parks, zoos and botanical gardens.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States include Accepting donations and grants, Collecting admissions and membership fees and Providing accommodation, food services and entertainment .

Companies

Companies covered in the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States include .

Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States include eco-tourists, nature-based tourism, ecosystem management and self-generated revenue.

Industry Code

NAICS 2017

NAICS 712130 - National Parks & Other Nature Institutions

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Deep staff and funding cuts have strained national parks. Layoffs, hiring freezes, and new spending limits have left parks with skeleton crews and mounting maintenance backlo...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

The size and scope of services offered by national parks and other nature institutions vary significantly. Revenue is calculated based on self-generated funds, private donati...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

National parks and other nature institutions are generally concentrated in regions with the highest share of the US population. Households are the primary users of park servi...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each state in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each state in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

National parks and other nature institutions experience a moderate level of market share concentration. Over the past five years, the industry's market share concentration de...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

There are many small operators working within this industry. There is only one very large operator, the National Parks Services, which controls more than half of market share...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025

Detailed analysis

    External Environment

    Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

    Analyst insights

    National parks and other nature institutions receive a moderate level of industry assistance. Most establishments are considered nonprofit entities and have a tax exemption s...

    In this chapter

    • External Drivers
    • Regulation & Policy
    • Assistance

    Key metrics

    • Regulation & policy level and trend
    • Assistance level and trend

    Charts

    • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
    • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

    Detailed analysis

    • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
    • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
    • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

    Financial Benchmarks

    View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

    Analyst insights

    Cost structure can vary significantly between operators. National parks and other nature institutions are managed on various scales of operation, and costs defer based on the...

    In this chapter

    • Cost Structure
    • Financial Ratios
    • Key Ratios

    Key metrics

    • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
    • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
    • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
    • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

    Charts

    • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
    • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
    • Investment vs. share of economy

    Data tables

    • Industry Multiples (2018-2023)
    • Industry Tax Structure (2018-2023)
    • Income Statement (2018-2023)
    • Balance Sheet (2018-2023)
    • Liquidity Ratios (2018-2023)
    • Coverage Ratios (2018-2023)
    • Leverage Ratios  (2018-2023)
    • Operating Ratios (2018-2023)
    • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
    • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
    • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
    • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
    • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
    • Average Wage (2015-2030)
    • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
    • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
    • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
    • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
    • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

    Detailed analysis

    • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

    Key Statistics

    Industry Data

    Data Tables

    Including values and annual change:

    • Revenue (2015-2030)
    • IVA (2015-2030)
    • Establishments (2015-2030)
    • Enterprises (2015-2030)
    • Employment (2015-2030)
    • Exports (2015-2030)
    • Imports (2015-2030)
    • Wages (2015-2030)

    Top Questions Answered

    Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

    What is the market size of the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States in 2025?

    The market size of the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States is $1.0bn in 2025.

    How many businesses are there in the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States in 2025?

    There are 1,000 businesses in the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.1 % between 2020 and 2025.

    How may import tariffs affect the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States?

    The National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

    How may export tariffs affect the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States?

    The National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

    Has the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?

    The market size of the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States has been declining at a CAGR of 0.0 % between 2020 and 2025.

    What is the forecast growth of the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States over the next 5 years?

    Over the next five years, the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States is expected to grow.

    What does the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States include?

    Accepting donations and grants and Collecting admissions and membership fees are part of the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States.

    How competitive is the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States?

    The level of competition is moderate and steady in the National Parks & Other Nature Institutions industry in the United States.

    Methodology

    How are IBISWorld reports created?

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    Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

    IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

    What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

    Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

    Key data sources in the US include: 

    • US Census Bureau
    • US Bureau of Labor Statistics
    • US International Trade Commission

    Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

    These sources include:

    • Industry and trade associations
    • Industry federations or regulators
    • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

    Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

    How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

    IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

    IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

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