Public Lands, Conservation, and the Future of Adventure Travel
At the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund (ATCF), we are committed to advancing travel as a force for good—one that protects the planet, empowers communities, and supports a thriving, responsible industry. As such, we want to share our position on a matter that affects us all: the increasing threats to public land protections, conservation funding, and the foundational environmental policies that make adventure travel possible.
Our message is clear: Threats to conservation are threats to the very foundation of our industry.
Adventure travel is the fastest-growing sector of the tourism industry, generating $52.89 billion in U.S. revenue in 2023 and projected to reach $139.5 billion by 2030 (Grand View Research), driven by demand for nature-based, community-connected experiences. More broadly, the U.S. travel and tourism industry supports 18 million jobs—11.2% of the workforce—and contributes nearly $2.4 trillion to the national economy.
But that future is at risk.
Efforts to weaken public land protections, reduce conservation funding, and undermine foundational laws like the Endangered Species Act endanger the very ecosystems that support our work. These issues have global implications. When natural heritage is undervalued or placed at risk—whether in North America or abroad—the impacts ripple across borders, economies, and communities.
At the ATCF, we believe that:
Public lands must remain public, accessible, and well-managed—with strong protections and adequate investment in the agencies that care for them.
Conservation funding should be strengthened, not scaled back, to protect biodiversity, support local livelihoods, and sustain nature-based travel.
Adventure travel businesses, nonprofits, and travelers alike have a responsibility to stand for the places we depend on.
We are sharing this position not only to inform, but to invite action and awareness within our community. As such, we have put together a simple advocacy toolkit to help you contact your local congressional representative. It includes a ready-to-use email template and phone script with talking points so you can speak up about the importance of protecting public lands and conservation funding. Let’s make sure decision-makers hear directly from the businesses and organizations that depend on these landscapes every day.
Our members span the globe, but our connection to wild places unites us. These are not partisan issues. They are economic, cultural, environmental, and deeply human.
The ATCF will continue to lead with integrity, speak out when it matters, and advocate for the protection of the world’s wild and culturally rich places. Thank you for being part of this mission.
With respect and shared purpose,
Soraya Shattuck
Executive Director
