Outdoor Recreation Business

Outdoor recreation is powered by small operators, but small does not have to mean isolated. Shared infrastructure can reduce overhead, improve professionalism, expand market access, and help locally owned businesses compete without giving up their independence. New Mexico’s outdoor economy will not reach its potential by asking every guide, outfitter, retailer, and experience provider to build the same business infrastructure alone. That is the thesis of this week’s No Margin

Tourism and outdoor recreation can bring significant new money into a community. The more important economic-development question is how much of that value stays local—strengthening businesses, wages, careers, and community capacity after the visitor goes home. New Mexico is succeeding at attracting visitors and growing outdoor recreation. The next challenge is making sure that growth translates into durable local prosperity. Visitor spending is an important measure, but it i

Outdoor recreation programs should be judged by what changes—not simply by how many people show up. As New Mexico increases investment in trails, youth access, workforce development, and outdoor businesses, the sector needs a common scorecard connecting public dollars to stronger businesses, better jobs, broader access, and healthier places. New Mexico has reached the point where outdoor recreation must become more disciplined about measurement. The state can already demonstr

New Mexico does not lack outdoor assets, committed organizations, or promising programs. The next level of impact will come from connecting those pieces around shared regional outcomes so business strength, workforce development, access, and stewardship reinforce one another instead of operating in parallel. New Mexico’s outdoor recreation economy has reached a scale where coordination is no longer a nice-to-have. It is an economic requirement. The state has invested meaningf

New Mexico is investing heavily in outdoor access, youth programming, and workforce development. The next challenge is conversion: turning exposure and training into paid work, durable skills, and career mobility for the people who will sustain the outdoor economy. Outdoor workforce development should be judged by a simple standard: did it lead to real work? That sounds obvious, but too many programs are still designed around participation rather than employment. We count wor

New Mexico is making important investments in trails and outdoor access. The next step is ensuring that local guides, outfitters, workers, and small businesses have the capacity to convert those public assets into durable economic and community benefit. Infrastructure Creates Potential—Not Outcomes New Mexico’s outdoor recreation economy is no longer a niche. Federal data show that it contributed $3.6 billion to the state’s economy in 2024, represented 2.5% of state GDP, and

In the outdoor recreation economy, passion is a renewable resource. Margins are not. When looking at the outdoor sector from the outside, it is incredibly easy to fall into the romance of the industry. For decades during my corporate technology career, I was that consumer—looking at public lands, pristine rivers, and mountain ranges as an absolute sanctuary. From that viewpoint, the guides, the outfitters, and the local gear shop owners look like they have achieved the ultima

Communities often measure economic success by the size of the companies they attract. Yet history consistently shows that resilient local economies are built on something far more durable: thriving small businesses. Supporting local entrepreneurs is not simply good economic development—it is one of the highest-return investments a community can make. The Foundation Is Often Overlooked When communities discuss economic development, the conversation frequently turns to recruiti

Communities often focus on capital, infrastructure, workforce, and policy when pursuing economic growth. While each is essential, none can reach its full potential without one underlying asset: trust. High-trust communities move faster, collaborate more effectively, and create stronger, more resilient economies. The Invisible Infrastructure Economic development conversations typically revolve around tangible assets. We discuss roads, broadband, workforce pipelines, housing, a

The communities that will thrive over the next generation are those that understand a simple truth: protecting natural assets is not separate from economic development—it is one of its most important drivers. Stewardship creates the conditions for sustainable prosperity. The False Choice Between Conservation and Growth For too long, communities have framed economic development and environmental stewardship as competing priorities. One side argues for growth. The other argues

Economic readiness depends on more than strong ideas and committed leaders. Communities need policy environments that reduce friction, align incentives, and make execution easier—not harder. Policy Is Where Strategy Meets Reality Every community wants stronger businesses, better jobs, attainable housing, resilient infrastructure, and a more durable tax base. But those outcomes do not emerge from aspiration alone. They depend on the rules, incentives, permitting systems, fundi

When workforce cannot afford to live where opportunity exists, growth becomes self-limiting. Housing is not a side issue—it is core economic infrastructure. In Santa Fe this is a long standing and highly discussed issue that though awareness is high, action is low and hence I felt it important to include this key issue in this blog series. The Constraint That Undermines Everything Else Communities invest heavily in workforce development, business attraction, and industry gro

In the outdoor recreation economy, passion is abundant, but margins are not. At the All Forward Foundation, we work closely with guides, outfitters, educators, and small outdoor businesses who care deeply about access, equity, stewardship, and developing the next generation of outdoor professionals. What we’ve learned—sometimes the hard way—is a simple but uncomfortable truth: Lasting social good in the outdoors does not come from good intentions alone. It comes from economic

If No Margin, No Mission makes the case for why economic health must come first, the next question is obvious: What does it actually take to build that kind of economic strength—on purpose, and at scale? At the All Forward Foundation, we’ve spent years listening to outdoor recreation professionals, working inside their businesses, and observing what separates fragile operations from durable ones. What has emerged is not a theory, but a practical model—one that treats economic

In the outdoor recreation world, passion is abundant. Skill, grit, and commitment to place are everywhere. What’s far less common—and far more decisive—is economic readiness. We often talk about impact first: access, stewardship, youth engagement, conservation, equity. Those goals matter deeply. But there’s a hard truth the sector still struggles to say out loud: Without margin, there is no mission. Economic readiness is not a “nice to have” or something you work on once the

In outdoor recreation, heroics are often mistaken for leadership. A business runs because the owner works longer hours. Trips go out because someone fills the gaps at the last minute. Problems get solved because a few experienced people carry everything in their heads. It works—until it doesn’t. Professionalized operations are not about bureaucracy or losing the soul of the business. They are about stability. And stability is what allows both people and mission to endure. Pro

In outdoor recreation, workforce challenges are often framed as a labor shortage. That diagnosis is incomplete. What the industry is actually facing is a development shortage—a lack of clear pathways, intentional training, and long-term investment in people. And no amount of hiring will fix that. Workforce development is not a “nice-to-have” once a business is successful. It is the multiplier that turns operational stability into lasting impact. Why staffing keeps breaking Mo

If economic viability is the foundation, and professionalized operations are the stabilizer, and workforce development is the multiplier— then community access and equity are the expression. This is where the mission becomes visible. But here is the sequence that matters: Access and equity efforts are most durable when they are built on economically healthy businesses—not fragile ones. Why good intentions aren’t enough Outdoor recreation leaders care deeply about inclusion.

If margin is the foundation, systems are the stabilizer, people are the multiplier, and access is the expression — then stewardship and systems change are the legacy. This is where short-term effort becomes long-term impact. This is where a healthy outdoor economy shapes the future, not just the present. Stewardship is not a side project In outdoor recreation, stewardship is often framed as volunteerism: A river cleanup day A trail work weekend A Leave No Trace reminder bef

What does it look like when outdoor recreation entrepreneurs themselves are positioned to economically thrive? At the All Forward Foundation, we start with a conviction that often goes unspoken: Outdoor recreation professionals deserve financial success. Not survival. Not subsistence. Not “doing it for the love of it.” They deserve the same opportunity for prosperity afforded to entrepreneurs in any other industry. Outdoor recreation pros deserve to THRIVE! Rejecting a quiet