THE GREAT ESCAPE

It was the Fourth of July weekend in 2020 on the Washington Coast in Copalis, and the Pacific Dunes Resort was sold out.

It was the beach getaway’s first weekend in business, after renovations from Jet Hospitality. And it provided city-dwellers who had been cooped up amid the pandemic an opportunity to escape while maintaining a certain level of social distancing with individual glamping tents, tiny home suites and RV slots.

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From fishing and boating to hiking and camping, demand for outdoor recreation surged during the pandemic, as Washingtonians looked for ways to get outside without exposing themselves to additional Covid risks. As those fears have subsided, interest in the outdoors has remained high nationwide and represents a multibillion-dollar industry in Washington state.

At Washington’s state parks, annual visits rose from 23.3 million in 2019 to 26.2 million in 2021, and 24.5 million in 2022.

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2023/05/29/washington-camp-sites-generate-big-business.html