Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) reinforced its leadership in outdoor hospitality and industry research as President and CEO Toby O’Rourke took the stage at the inaugural National Executive Forum on Health and Outdoor Recreation in Washington, D.C.
Hosted by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), the invite-only forum convenes senior leaders across healthcare, government and the outdoor recreation industry to examine how time outdoors can address rising national challenges tied to mental health, chronic disease and overall wellbeing. The forum emphasizes cross-sector collaboration, evidence-based research and scalable solutions, positioning outdoor recreation as a critical lever in preventive health.
As both a sponsor and active contributor, KOA played a central role in shaping the dialogue, bringing forward proprietary insights from its annual Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report, one of the industry’s most comprehensive longitudinal studies on traveler behavior and outdoor engagement, KOA said. O’Rourke joined leading voices from health systems and outdoor organizations on the panel “The Health x Recreation Challenge and Opportunity,” advancing the role of outdoor hospitality as essential infrastructure in a modern, prevention-focused health ecosystem.
“Camping sits at the intersection of two critical and converging priorities, health and human connection,” said O’Rourke after her presentation. “Our research not only tracks how people travel, but why they seek the outdoors in the first place. The findings are clear, access to nature is not a luxury, it is foundational to wellbeing. Outdoor hospitality has a meaningful role to play in delivering that access at scale.”
Insights from KOA’s 2026 Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report further reinforce the growing alignment between outdoor travel and personal wellness:
- 77% of campers say being in nature alone improves their wellbeing, without the need for structured programming
- 61% prioritize slowing down and being present as their primary travel goal
- Nearly half of travelers book outdoor trips specifically to recharge or support mental health
- 81% report measurable improvements in sleep quality and stress recovery while spending time outdoors
- Over half of all parents say unstructured play for their children is a priority when planning their vacation
The forum brings together more than 130 executives, policymakers and thought leaders to shape the future of outdoor recreation as a driver of public health outcomes.
