04 CC-BLRI002-27 Business Opportunity.pdf

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Blue Ridge Parkway

Part I

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Craft Sales and Retail Services at Northwest Trading Post within

Department of the Interior

Concession Contract No. CC-BLRI002-27

CC-BLRI002-27 Business Opportunity Table of Contents

Blue Ridge Parkway

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

SITE VISIT

NOTIFICATION OF INTENT TO PROPOSE

INFORMATION REGARDING THIS SOLICITATION

PROPOSAL OVERVIEW

DOING BUSINESS WITH THE SERVICE

THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND ITS MISSION

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

CONCESSION OPPORTUNITY

DRAFT CONTRACT TERM AND EFFECTIVE DATE

REQUIRED AND AUTHORIZED SERVICES

OVERVIEW OF REQUIRED SERVICES

CRAFT SALES AND RETAIL

FOOD AND BEVERAGE (AUTHORIZED SERVICE)

SPECIAL EVENTS AND PROGRAMS (AUTHORIZED SERVICE)

REVENUE ASSUMPTIONS

EXPENSE ASSUMPTIONS

UTILITIES EXPENSES

OTHER OPERATING CONSIDERATIONS

INVESTMENT ANALYSIS

MAINTENANCE

MINIMUM FRANCHISE FEE

LEASEHOLD SURRENDER INTEREST

NO PREFERRED OFFEROR

HISTORICAL CONCESSION DATA

HISTORICAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION

MARKET AREA OVERVIEW

LOCAL COMPETITIVE MARKET

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY VISITATION

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Blue Ridge Parkway

INTRODUCTION

Site Visit

The National Park Service (“Service”) will host a site visit for organizations interested in bidding on this opportunity on the date listed on the inside front cover of this Prospectus. The site visit provides interested organizations an overview of the concession operation along with a tour of some of the facilities assigned to the Concessioner under the Draft Contract. Each interested Offeror is limited to five persons attending the site visit, and all attendees must be over the age of eighteen.

To attend the site visit, registration is required no later than one week in advance of the scheduled date. To register, please contact the Blue Ridge Parkway Concessions program, at blri_concessions@nps.gov, with the name of the organization you represent, the primary contact for the organization, including contact phone number, mailing address and email address, and the number of people in your party. All parties attending the site visit must disclose to the Service the names of the interested organizations engaging their services. The Service will provide further information and additional directions by return email message to the primary contact.

Site visit participants are responsible for obtaining their own lodging, meals, and transportation. Participants are encouraged to obtain lodging as soon as possible, as lodging in the area is limited. Attendance at the site visit is not required in order to submit a proposal for the Prospectus; however, attendance is encouraged.

Notification of Intent to Propose

If you plan to submit a proposal in response to this solicitation, you must notify William Gordon, Commercial Services Management Specialist, NPS Regional Office Serving Interior Region 2, via email at william_gordon@nps.gov no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern time on August 24, 2026. The Service will not accept proposals from entities that do not provide notice on or before this deadline.

Summary of Term and Conditions of the CC-BLRI002-27 Opportunity

Location

Draft Contract Term 10 Years

Projected Effective Date February 1, 2027

Required Services Craft Sales and Retail

2027 Projected Gross Receipts $400,000 to $450,000

Estimated Initial Investment $330,900

Minimum Franchise Fee 1.0% of gross receipts

Component Renewal Reserve 2.0% of gross receipts

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Blue Ridge Parkway

Information Regarding This Solicitation

The Prospectus describes in general terms the existing business operation and the business opportunity for services allowed pursuant to Concession Contract No. CC-BLRI002-27 (“Draft Contract”). It is comprised of five parts:

I. Business Opportunity (this document) II. Proposal Instructions III. Proposal Package IV. Draft Concession Contract Including Contract Exhibits V. Appendices Table of Contents

This Prospectus includes Service estimates of revenue and expenses to assist Offerors in developing financial projections. These estimates reflect Service assumptions based on planning decisions, historical concession operating data, industry standards, economic conditions, and comparable and competitive operations. The Service does not guarantee these projections will materialize and assumes no liability for their accuracy.

Offerors must compile and present their own financial projections based on independent assumptions, due diligence, and industry knowledge.

Offerors must review all sections of this Prospectus, especially the terms and conditions of the Draft Contract, including its exhibits (Part IV), to determine the full scope of a future concessioner’s responsibilities. In the event of any inconsistency between the description of the terms contained in this Prospectus and the Draft Contract, the Draft Contract will control.

Certain federal laws apply to this solicitation including the National Park Service Concessions Management Improvement Act of 1998 (Title IV, Public Law 105-391, and hereafter referred to as “the 1998 Act”), as amended, and its implementing regulations at 36 C.F.R. Part 51. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms of this Prospectus and 36 C.F.R. Part 51, 36 C.F.R. Part 51 will control. 36 C.F.R. Part 51 is available at the Government Printing Office’s Electronic Code of Federal Regulations website1.

Parts I, II, and III refer to Blue Ridge Parkway as “the Park” or “the Parkway”.

“Concessioner” refers to the entity that will be the concessioner under the Draft Contract.

“Previous Concessioner” refers to Cradle of Forestry in America Interpretive Association dba FIND Outdoors, the concessioner under Concession Contract CC-BLRI002-13 (“Previous Contract”). The term of the Previous Contract was from May 22, 2013, to May 21, 2023.

The Service intends an anticipated effective date of February 1, 2027. Visitor services are open from mid-May through October. The Service intends to announce the selected Offeror around January 15, 2027, or around half a month prior to award. Award of a concession contract does not occur until the competitive process has been completed and both the selected Offeror and the Service have signed the concession contract. While the Service will make every effort to meet this schedule, it is subject to change.

Proposal Overview

Part II of this Prospectus contains the instructions for submitting proposals. Offerors must carefully read and comply with those instructions.

Part III of this Prospectus contains the proposal package Offerors must complete in its entirety. The proposal package contains a required transmittal letter, five principal selection factors, and two secondary selection

1https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-36/chapter-I/part-51 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=d03628d94ca3851e02f00f86e5142962&mc=true&node=pt36.1.51&rgn=div5

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Blue Ridge Parkway factors. Each selection factor identifies the minimum and maximum points the Service may award depending on the quality of the response. The following paraphrases the information sought under each selection factor. The wording of the actual selection factors controls.

Principal Selection Factor 1 requires Offerors to describe how they will protect, conserve, and preserve the resources of the Park. Offerors must describe their maintenance program and procedures and how they will winterize facilities.

Principal Selection Factor 2 requires Offerors to describe how they would improve the visitor experience through their concepts for high quality retail services.

In Principal Selection Factor 3, Offerors must describe their organizational structure and provide documentation to help the Service understand the Offeror and its relationship to other entities. The Service does not score the first portion of Selection Factor 3 but may use it to understand responses elsewhere in a proposal. Incomplete submissions may lead to a lower score elsewhere if the information submitted does not support claims made in response to specific subfactors in this and other selection factors. The Service provides forms Offerors must complete depending on their organizational structure. The rest of this principal selection factor, which is scored, requires Offerors to describe their experience providing similar services, strategies for employee recruitment and retention, and history of violations or infractions and overall strategy to minimize and resolve them.

In Principal Selection Factor 4, Offerors must provide documentation demonstrating that they have the financial resources to commence and carry-on operations under the Draft Contract, including a business history form. Offerors also must complete the provided Excel workbook and provide other information to demonstrate an understanding of the operations under the Draft Contract.

In Principal Selection Factor 5, Offerors provide the franchise fee they will pay on gross receipts generated under the Draft Contract. Failure to agree to pay at least the minimum franchise fee set out in this selection factor will result in the Service finding the proposal non-responsive and ineligible for award of the Draft Contract.

Secondary Selection Factor 1 requires Offerors to describe how they would implement environmentally-friendly business practices.

Secondary Selection Factor 2 requires Offerors to describe their marketing plan.

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Doing Business with the Service

The Service has worked with private parties to provide services to visitors dating back to the earliest times of national parks. Many of the iconic lodges and other structures found in America’s national parks were constructed and operated by private parties, and that relationship continues today.

We use the term “commercial visitor services” when generally describing services, benefits, and goods provided to visitors within an area of the National Park System by a third party for a fee. Simply put, the term “commercial visitor services” includes lodging, food and beverage, retail, marina operations, guided recreation, rental of equipment, experiential transportation, and similar services the National Park Service itself does not provide. Congress has passed several laws guiding the Service in contracting with third parties to provide these services, including the 1998 Act. The Service implemented regulations for many aspects of the law, primarily to set out the process for soliciting bids for new contracts and managing concessioners’ investment in structures owned by the United States.

Working with the Service in providing commercial visitor services differs from operating outside a park in several respects. By law, we approve rates to ensure park visitors do not pay higher fees for goods and services merely because such transaction occurs within a park. Section 4(B) of the Operating Plan (Exhibit B to the Draft Contract) lists the rate methods for all visitor services. As with the private sector, concessioners must develop and follow environmental management programs, risk management programs, and similar programs to ensure operations comply with applicable laws. Service employees review the quality of concession operations and compliance with contract requirements including the maintenance of facilities.

Even with those regulatory actions, concessioners in national parks enjoy significant benefits. Many parks function as unique visitor destinations. Concessioners frequently operate with few, if any, in-park competitors, even though we do not grant exclusive rights to provide any visitor services. Although we approve rates, our processes ensure the rates are competitive with similar services near the operating locations. Our contract oversight reflects the best management practices of the private sector industries. We developed operating standards based on similar ones in the private sector to reflect best industry practices for the services provided under the concession contracts.

The National Park Service and its Mission

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson approved legislation creating the National Park Service within the Department of the Interior. That legislation stated that Congress created America’s National Park Service to:

…conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such a manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. Pub. L. No. 64-235, § 1 (codified at 54 U.S.C. § 100101(a)).

Additionally, Congress has declared that the National Park System should be:

…preserved and managed for the benefit and inspiration of all the people of the United States. Pub.

L. No. 91-383, § 1 (codified at 54 U.S.C. § 100101(b)).

The Service has as its overall mission the preservation and public enjoyment of significant aspects of the nation’s natural and cultural heritage. To learn more about the Service, visit www.nps.gov. The website includes information about the Service’s mission, policies, and information on individual park units.

http://www.nps.gov/

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Blue Ridge Parkway

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

In 1936, Congress formally authorized the construction of Blue Ridge Parkway, a designated National Scenic Byway and All-American Road intended to connect Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Parkway, which was built over a period of 52 years, is almost 500 miles long and crosses through the states of North Carolina (NC) and Virginia (VA) along the Blue Ridge mountain range. Land alongside the Parkway is maintained by the Service and, in many places, borders land protected by the United States Forest Service.

The maximum speed limit never surpasses 45 miles per hour with no direct interchanges with interstate highways, making it possible for visitors passing through to leisurely and safely enjoy the passing scenery. The Parkway’s varied and scenic environment is designed to showcase the natural beauty and culture of the surrounding area.

From Milepost 0 at Rockfish Gap, VA to Milepost 355 near Mount Mitchell State Park, NC, the Parkway lives up to its name by following the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, averaging about 3,000 feet in elevation, and occasionally dipping down into the coves and hollows or crossing low-elevation water gaps. At Mount Mitchell, the Parkway veers westward through the Black Mountains, then into the Craggy Mountains before descending toward Asheville, NC. From there, the road climbs to elevations over 6,000 feet in the Balsam Mountains before entering the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee, NC.

Along this route an unsurpassed diversity of climate zones, vegetation zones, physiographic zones, and geological features are traversed. The more than 81,000 acres of Parkway lands pass through a highland area of five degrees longitude and approximately 3 degrees latitude, making it the third largest unit of the National Park Service in terms of area covered. Park resources include 600 streams (150 headwaters), 47 Natural Heritage Areas (areas set aside as national, regional or state examples of exemplary natural communities), a variety of slopes and exposures, and possibly 100 different soil types. The Parkway provides a home for both southern species at the lower elevations and northern species on the mountaintops.

Due to the varied topography, weather conditions can vary dramatically. The highest point on the Parkway (Richland Balsam Mountain at Milepost 431) is often closed from November to April due to inclement weather such as snow, fog, and even freezing fog from low clouds. A few facilities located on the Parkway are open year-round, although a large majority (such as visitor centers, campgrounds and picnic areas) begin opening on a staggered schedule in late April and stay open through the fall leaf color.

Exhibit 1 on the following page presents a map of the Parkway. Additional information about the Park can be found at www.nps.gov/blri.

http://www.nps.gov/blri

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Exhibit 1. Map of Blue Ridge Parkway

Source: National Park Service

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Blue Ridge Parkway

CONCESSION OPPORTUNITY

The Draft Contract requires the Concessioner to provide craft sales and retail services at Northwest Trading Post during the operating season from the Thursday before Memorial Day through October each year.

Minimum operating hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at least four days per week (which must include Saturday and Sunday).

Located at Milepost 258.7 near the town of Glendale Springs in Ashe County, North Carolina, Northwest Trading Post has offered retail and food and beverage services to Parkway visitors since 1958. Concession facilities include a 2,160 square foot retail building and a 960 square foot storage building, as well as restrooms for visitors.

The Previous Concessioner offered a selection of merchandise including regional arts and crafts, books, gifts, souvenirs, children’s items, apparel, and packaged food. The Concessioner may offer Authentic Native Handicrafts and locally made Southern Appalachian handicrafts, souvenirs, curios, apparel, locally homemade foodstuffs, and visitor convenience items. The gift shop must offer items that have a relationship to Blue Ridge Parkway, its history, and other related natural or cultural topics.

Draft Contract Term and Effective Date

The Draft Contract has a term of ten (10) years with an estimated effective date of February 1, 2027. The effective date of the Draft Contract may change prior to award if necessary; however, in such event, the Service will change the expiration date of the Draft Contract, if necessary, to provide ten operating seasons.

Required and Authorized Services

The Draft Contract includes the following required and authorized services.

Exhibit 2. Required Services of the Draft Contract

Service Location

Craft Sales Northwest Trading Post

Retail: Souvenirs/Gifts and Recreation Specialty Northwest Trading Post

Exhibit 3. Authorized Services of the Draft Contract

Service Location

Food and Beverage: Grab-and-go, packaged Northwest Trading Post

Special Events and Programs Northwest Trading Post

Overview of Required Services

A summary of required services is provided below. Offerors should reference the Draft Contract and its exhibits for additional information. Minimum operating hours are specified in the Draft Contract Exhibit B Operating Plan. Rate methods are specified in the Draft Contract Exhibit B Operating Plan Section 4(B) Rate Determination and Approval Process.

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Craft Sales and Retail

The Concessioner must offer Southern Appalachian handicrafts, gifts, souvenirs, books, curios, apparel, locally homemade foodstuffs, and visitor convenience items, among other merchandise categories.

Retail items should be appropriate to the interpretive themes of the Blue Ridge Parkway, as detailed in Appendix D to this Prospectus, with an emphasis on traditional Appalachian life, history, culture, and foods.

Locally handmade and made-in-the USA merchandise is preferred. The gift shop must offer items that have a direct relationship to Blue Ridge Parkway, its history, and other related natural or cultural topics.

Under the Draft Contract, retail prices will be under Competitive Market Declaration (“CMD”).

Food and Beverage (Authorized Service)

The Concessioner may provide food and beverage service. Previous Concessioners offered a selection of freshly made or prepackaged sandwiches, snacks and beverages, including locally made specialties.

Under the Draft Contract, food and beverage prices will be under CMD.

Special Events and Programs (Authorized Service)

The Concessioner may offer special events and programs including, but not limited to: musical performances;

craft demonstrations; speakers on environmental education, sustainability or local history; astronomy programs; storytelling; and children’s activities.

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Revenue Assumptions

In developing prospective revenue estimates, the Service assumed changes from historical revenue in part, but not limited to, the following:

• The completion of road construction along the Parkway that impacted Concession revenues from 2022 through 2024. All roadwork has been completed at the time of the issuing of this Prospectus.

The Service assumed no utility add-ons in its revenue projections.

Estimated Projections by Department

The following exhibit provides a summary of projected departmental revenues for the first operating season under the Draft Contract (2027).

Exhibit 4. Summary of Projected Departmental Revenues

Department 2027 Retail (including all Craft Sales) $400,000 - $450,000

TOTAL REVENUES $400,000 - $450,000

Less: Deductions* $0

GROSS RECEIPTS $400,000 - $450,000

* Authorized deductions (exclusions) are listed in the definition of “gross receipts” in Sec. 2 of the Draft Contract.

The following exhibits provide a breakdown of projections of operating statistics by department.

Exhibit 5. Projected Retail Operating Statistics

Northwest Trading Post Retail Transactions 13,500 - 14,500 Average Revenue per Transaction $29.00 - $35.00

Expense Assumptions

In developing projected expense estimates, the Service assumed adjustments of certain direct, indirect and fixed expenses to reflect costs associated with the changes in operations. The Service projects that most expenses will be within industry average ranges.

Utilities Expenses

The Service will provide water and wastewater service to the Concessioner. The Concessioner must obtain all other utilities (electricity, solid waste, telephone, propane/fuel oil, and internet) from out-of-park suppliers.

The Service charges utility users (including concessioners) the utility systems’ operating and maintenance costs and amortized cost of capital improvements to utility systems. The Service has reviewed projected operating and maintenance costs and amortized costs of capital improvements for these utility systems and services and has developed projected rates. The rate for water and wastewater charged to Concessioners in 2025 is $73.62 per thousand gallons, and the Service estimates the Concessioner will use approximately 80,000 gallons in 2027. The Service has incorporated this rate into its franchise fee calculation and will not approve a utility add-on. Refer to Director's Order #35B (included in the Appendices to this Prospectus) for more information on this policy.

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Other Operating Considerations

The Service will provide flexibility for the Concessioner to test different operating hours and different weekly schedules (open and closed days).

Although Food and Beverage is not a required service, the Service assumes the Concessioner will have flexibility to test different Food and Beverage service concepts (grab-and-go, quick service/deli, etc.).

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INVESTMENT ANALYSIS

As shown in the following exhibit, the Concessioner’s total estimated required initial investment as projected by the Service is $330,900 in 2027 dollars. This includes personal property, inventory, supplies, start-up costs (staff hiring, training, etc.), and working capital (investment needed to cover expenses incurred in advance of offsetting revenues).

The Concessioner will incur start-up costs prior to commencing operations under the Draft Contract. Start-up costs include staff hiring, training that may involve compensation in addition to normal wages, systems implementation, legal support services, and marketing and advertising beyond normal annual expenditures.

The Previous Concessioner removed its personal property from Concession buildings, and the Service assumes that the Concessioner under the Draft Contract will purchase most personal property needed for operations new or acquire the necessary personal property through other means. A list of the Previous Concessioner’s personal property as of 2023 is provided as Appendix C to the Prospectus.

Exhibit 6. Estimated Initial Investment

Item Estimated Amount (2027 Dollars)

Initial Personal Property Investment $140,000

Inventory Investment $159,100

Start-up Costs $15,900

Working Capital $15,900

Total Initial Investment $330,900

In addition to the initial investment, the concessioner must cure Deferred Maintenance over the first two years of the Draft Contract term.

Deferred Maintenance

The Concessioner must cure, within the first two years of the Draft Contract’s term, all deferred maintenance ("DM") for all real property assets assigned under the Draft Contract. The Draft Contract requires the Concessioner to maintain buildings according to the Maintenance Plan (Exhibit H to the Draft Contract), which means DM will not accumulate. The Draft Contract lists DM projects in an attachment to the Maintenance Plan.

The following exhibit presents estimated DM costs. The Service has estimated these costs for illustrative purposes only; Offerors must develop their own estimates. In addition, the Concessioner must cure the DM to the satisfaction of the Service even if the actual cost total exceeds the estimates provided in this Prospectus.

Exhibit 7. Estimated Deferred Maintenance

Year Amount

2027 $16,000

2028 $16,000

Total $32,000

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Additionally, the Draft Contract has other financial requirements that are ongoing through the term of the contract, including the following. Your responses in the proposal package should address these items.

Maintenance

Assigned Facilities

The Draft Contract, Exhibit D, Assigned Land and Real Property Improvements (Concession Facilities), contains a complete list and maps of assigned land and real property improvements.

Component Renewal Reserve

The Draft Contract requires the Concessioner to establish a Component Renewal Reserve to ensure funds are available to accomplish certain component renewal and replacement activities. Please see Section 10(c) of the Draft Contract for guidance on the terms and conditions of the Component Renewal Reserve. The Service will require the Concessioner to fund the Component Renewal Reserve for the Draft Contract with two percent (2.0%) of gross receipts as defined in Section 2 of the Draft Contract. As further explained in the Draft Contract, the Concessioner must expend sufficient additional monies to maintain the Concession Facilities to the satisfaction of the Director, which may require the Concessioner to expend more than the amount that it pays into the Component Renewal Reserve.

Minimum Franchise Fee

Offerors must agree to pay the minimum franchise fee, as set out in Principal Selection Factor 5 of the Proposal Package (Part III of this Prospectus), although Offerors may propose higher franchise fees in accordance with terms of the Prospectus.

The following describes the minimum franchise fee acceptable to the Service for each year of the contract term:

1.0% of gross receipts

Leasehold Surrender Interest

The Concessioner will be eligible to obtain LSI as outlined in the Draft Contract and Exhibits A (“Leasehold Surrender Interest”) and F1 (“Concessioner New Construction and Major Rehabilitation Project Procedures”) to the Draft Contract, subject to all requirements set forth therein.

No Preferred Offeror

The Director of the Service has determined that no preferred offeror for this Draft Contract exists pursuant to the terms of 36 C.F.R. Part 51. This solicitation for commercial visitor services is fully competitive.

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HISTORICAL CONCESSION DATA

This section presents information regarding historical revenue and operating data to assist Offerors in developing projections for future operations associated with the Draft Contract.

Please note that the COVID-19 pandemic and associated closures and restrictions impacted operations during the 2020 and 2021 operating seasons. Road closures due to construction impacted operations during the 2022 operating season.

Historical Financial Information The following exhibit presents gross revenues by department from 2020 to 2022 for the Previous Contract.

Exhibit 8. Previous Contract BLRI002 – Historical Gross Revenues by Department

2020 2021 2022

Retail $298,831 $381,394 $210,487 Total $298,831 $381,394 $210,487

Exhibit 9. Previous Contract BLRI002 – Historical Franchise Fees Paid

2020 2021 2022 Franchise Fees Paid $1,494 $1,907 $1,052

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MARKET AREA OVERVIEW

Northwest Trading Post is located in Glendale Springs, NC, in Ashe County. The Concession operation is at Milepost 258.7 near several scenic overlooks on the Parkway, including Sheets Gap, Jumpinoff Rock, The Lump, Mt. Jefferson, and Betseys Rock Falls.

Northwest Trading Post is less than 20 miles from the Service-operated campground and Visitor Center at Doughton Park, and from the picnic area at E.B Jeffress Park. It is approximately 30 minutes to the northeast of Boone and Blowing Rock, NC, and 30 minutes to the northwest of Wilkesboro, NC. Three popular Parkway destinations: Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, Julian Price Memorial Park, and the Linn Cove Viaduct and Visitor Center, are in the Blowing Rock area.

The map below illustrates the location of Northwest Trading Post within the surrounding area.

Exhibit 10. Regional Area Map and Location of Concession Facilities

Source: National Park Service

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Local Competitive Market

The closest retail outlets on the Parkway are the Park Store at the Doughton Park Visitor Center (approximately 20 miles away) and the craft store at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park (approximately 35 miles away). Some communities near Northwest Trading Post, including Glendale Springs, West Jefferson, Wilkesboro, Boone, and Blowing Rock, feature craft stores and gift shops.

Blue Ridge Parkway Visitation

Blue Ridge Parkway visitation numbers are among the highest in the National Park system and are based on a variety of counting procedures and formulas, including numerous traffic count locations along the entire Parkway. Between 2015 and 2025, Parkway recreation visitation increased at an average annual rate of 1.1%. Park visitation was only modestly impacted at the strart of the COVID-19 pandemic, with visitation declining by roughly 6% in that year. However, visitation rebounded significantly in 2021 to 15.9 million visitors, an increase of 13.1% over 2020 visitation. Vistation set a new record in 2023 at approximately 16.8 million visitors, 6.1% higher than in 2022.

Exhibit 11. Blue Ridge Parkway Recreation Visitation

Year Recreation Visitors Percentage Change

2015 15,054,603.00 2016 15,175,578.00 0.8%

2017 16,093,765.00 6.1%

2018 14,690,418.00 -8.7%

2019 14,976,085.00 1.9%

2020 14,099,485.00 -5.9%

2021 15,948,148.00 13.1%

2022 15,711,004.00 -1.5%

2023 16,757,635.00 6.7%

2024 16,733,639.00 -0.1%

2025 16,533,753.00 -1.2%

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-- END Part I: Business Opportunity --