b'ORR Survey Shows Dramatic Impact of Virus on Outdoor Rec IndustryAn Outdoor Recreation Roundtable dous impacts to our members and the(ORR) member survey, in partnership entire outdoor recreation industry, butwith the Oregon State University Out- our survey results show the traumaticdoor Recreation Economy Initiative, impact on every sector and to the heartfinds that the outdoor recreation in- of this once-thriving economic engine,dustryisfacingdramaticallyde- said Jessica Wahl Turner, executive di-creasedsalesandrevenue, rector at ORR. difficulties with production and distri- Just a few short months ago out-bution, and large numbers of furloughs doorrecreationwasgrowingfasterand layoffs. ation trade associations, representing off most of or all of their staff. than almost any other industry, con-ORR surveyed its member trade as- businesses with nearly two million em-89% of outdoor industry businesses tributed over $778 billion to the U.S.sociations representing over 100,000 ployees, the impact is startling: are experiencing a decrease in sales economy and employed over 5.2 millionbusinesses from RVing and camping, toOf the businesses this survey rep- with 39% seeing a decrease of 50% to Americans.boating and fishing, to hunting and bik- resents, 89% are experiencing difficulty 75% or greater. Toseethat79%ofoutdoorbusi-ing businesses about the impacts their with production and distribution, with80% of outdoor industry trade as-organizations and member companies 68% experiencing significant impacts. sociations are seeing a decrease in nesses have had to lay off or furloughhave felt since the pandemic began.79% of these businesses have laid revenue with 30% seeing a decrease of employees and that 89% are seeing de-According to the responses of the 20 offorfurloughedaportionoftheir 50% to 75% or greater. creasedrevenueisjaw-dropping.participating national outdoor recre- workforce, with 11% closing or laying We knew there have been tremen- WCMWCM Fireside Chats Launched to Provide News, InformationWoodalls Campground Management So far, the show has attracted guests(WCM) has launched a new Facebook such as Jeff Sims, senior director of stateLive/Zoom show, WCM Fireside Chats, relations and program advocacy for thethat dives into industry-wide issues and NationalAssociationofRVParksandnews, both in the U.S. and Canada. Campgrounds; Dee Witting, executive di-The show is hosted by Ben Quiggle, ed- rector of the Carolinas Association of RVitor of WCM, and Brian Searl, CEO of In- ParksandCampground;andJoannsider Perks, a marketing firm focused on DelVescio, executive director of the Newserving the outdoor hospitality industry. Jersey Campground Owners Association,Cara Braeutigam, from the Canadian among others.Camping and RV Council, makes regular During its first three weeks, the show appearances as well. Braeutigam shares attracted nearly 2,000 views on Facebook,her perspective on the Canadian outdoor and Quiggle anticipates those numbers tohospitality industry, along with trends and grow as more people become aware of the insights. program.The weekly event, held at 11 a.m. (EST) All our shows are recorded, so viewerseach Monday, is casual and conversa- can also watch it at their convenience, hetional, as multiple guests ask questions, explained. The reaction we have receiveddiscusspertinenttopicsandanswer so far has exceeded our expectations and in the industry as we look to expand our To access the show on Zoom, you canviewer questions. By using the Zoom plat- many of the people I converse with regularly presence and help more owners get the in- register here: https://bit.ly/WCMZoom.form, WCMcan bring on guests to discuss have told me how much they enjoy the show. formation they need to better run their camp- To watch the show on Facebook, headtopics and ask questions directly. We aim to continue bringing on key people grounds. here: www.facebook.com/woodallscmWCMARVC, RVs 4 MDs Partneringto Benefit Medical PersonnelThe National Association of RV Parks and Camp-grounds (ARVC) has announced a partnership withRVs 4 MDs, a Facebook-based organization thatmatches medical personnel with donated RVs andaccommodations while they help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.ARVC member-parks with available sites can signup to offer free RV sites or other accommodations fordoctors, nurses and other health care personnel whoare seeking a place to stay during the crisis.RVs 4 MDs started from the outcry of thousandsof healthcare providers across the country lookingfor alternative accommodations to avoid exposingtheir families to the virus. In addition, there have beenmany healthcare providers who have relocated toCOVID-19 hot spots and need housing while theyare away from their homes.Once submitted, an owners information will beadded to a secure online database that RVs 4 MDsvolunteer coordinators in each state will be able toaccess to determine if they can match a health careprofessional in need, an RV owner with a rig to do-nate and an ARVC-member park in the area.ARVC has also shared its state-by-state trackerwithRVs4MDssotheycanstayinformedonwhether campgrounds are open or closed in a par-ticular state.The tracker is available, along with other re-sources, on ARVCs coronavirus information hubat arvc.org/coronavirus. WCM6 -June 2020 Woodalls Campground Management'