Outdoor recreation and its impact on tourism in WNC is a growing trend, according to Nantahala Outdoor Company’s Director of Outpost Operations Steven Foy.

While many tour companies experienced decreased numbers in 2020, demand at NOC was “through the roof” in that year and continuing into 2021 and 2022. While some operators saw a softening in 2023, Foy felt like industry conversations still indicated a consistent growth along what a typical curve would be excluding outlying data from extreme years.

The area’s proximity to major urban locations from cities in Florida to Washington, DC keep WNC popular to the drive-time market. Many visitors originating from these areas return for multiple trips, and the vastly different scenery in the mountains compared to visitors’ home cities also encourages repeat visits to explore the outdoors.

“I’m sure this is true for noncommercial sites like DuPont State Forest and other parks just as it is true for commercial operations,” Foy said. “People return to do business with us because they have a great experience, but that experience is paired with amazing natural amenities. Almost any outfitter will say it’s only as strong as its natural resources, and they pretty much sell themselves. For us at NOC, our staff work hard to deliver a great product, but it’s also that the rivers are so beautiful.”

While NOC began operations in 1972, Foy said people have been coming to WNC for adventures for longer than that. Many commercial outfitters and operators began their businesses in the early 1970s, and many of the original staff at these companies attended local summer camps in their youth.

The summer camp industry plays as much of a vital role in the outdoor recreation economy as the outfitters, ski resorts, and gear manufacturers in the area, according to Foy. With so many campers arriving from all over the US and even international locations, a large number of their parents stay in the area to experience the area’s outdoor recreation opportunities for themselves.

There has also been growth in the summer camp model that incorporates local outfitters into their offerings. NOC and other rafting companies take campers on rafting trips as part of their programs, and outfitter staff help provide certifications in things like first aid, CPR, and wilderness medicine to camp counselors.

“There’s been a big growth in this type of camp model in the last decade,” Foy said. “It’s become a critical element of business, and we’re grateful for the visionaries who helped establish that in the Hendersonville and Black Mountain areas. We’re even seeing those aging out of summer camp programs become interested in working as guides. It lends so perfectly to be a cooperating business model.”

Retail gear sales are also a large part of NOC’s business model. Some guests experiencing water sports through tours fall in love with the activity and want to continue on their own. Large pieces of gear and equipment are not easy to ship and can be difficult to try before you buy, so the company has partnered with local manufacturers, allowing the staff to demonstrate gear sold in NOC stores on the river. While not located on the river, NOC’s store at the Grove Park Inn is primarily a retail store but also connects guests to activity options, so the retail/recreation relationships go both ways.

Foy has also seen students of paddling school turn the sport into their career. Rivers in the Southeast have a longer season and more predictable water levels than other regions that may be dependent on things like snow melt, so the volume of work in the region is attractive to river guides. Some come from places like Florida for the high season and live in WNC for the summer, and many college students from around the country do the same. Others make their seasonal guiding schedule work with other careers like construction or education. Many retirees also temporarily relocate to WNC to guide in the summer.

While some seasonal tour guides, on rivers or otherwise, come to the region to work, play, and be active for a short period during their “regular life,” others start guiding and build an affinity with the company. Individuals who started as guides have built their career and the business, becoming key players in marketing and accounting at the company.

“Tour operators may be small businesses in numbers of employees, but we are big as far as the economic impact of bringing people to the area,” Foy said. “At NOC, across four states, we have between 750 to 775 employees at the height of our season. It’s also telling that in any economic conversation, outdoor service providers are a key element. We take more than 110,000 people on guided rafting trips annually, about 70,000 of those on the Nantahala and French Broad Rivers. Most of those visit in conjunction with other activities, and they buy gear and food and stay for a few nights. That’s a significant contribution to the economy based on the great outdoors.”