Joe DownsCEO & Co-Founder, Belrose Storage Group. Founder, Storage Moguls.

Outdoor Recreation is a One - Way Door

25 Mar 2026 · 1 min

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In this brief commentary, the speaker argues that outdoor recreation activities adopted during the COVID‑19 pandemic act as a "one‑way door" – once people discover enjoyment in pursuits such as boating, RV travel, golf, or camping, they rarely revert to being non‑participants. Instead, new participants become regular users, leading to sustained and even growing demand across multiple market segments. The speaker cites observed trends: boating outings on Saturdays, families upgrading to larger RVs after a first trip, a surge and lasting elevation in golf club memberships, and increased occupancy at RV parks and campgrounds that turned one‑time visitors into repeat customers.

Chapters

Outdoor recreation is a one-way door. When someone discovers they enjoy taking a boat out on a Saturday, that's not a phase. When a family takes their RV trip across the country, they don't come back and decide it wasn't worth it. They come back and they start looking at bigger RVs. I've watched this play out across multiple markets. Golf club memberships exploded during COVID but they've stayed elevated. RV parks and campgrounds saw occupancy surge during COVID and then the new participants became regulars, not one-timers.