ABSTRACT
The private and public sectors have separate, conflicting, but sometimes overlapping roles in recreation. This chapter shows that the public and private sectors do not have to be in conflict because, in reality, they already have a strong functional interface. It reviews the historical precedents of the private and public sectors’ relationships to recreational resources and facilities and discusses three major ideologies—conservation, tourism, and recreation—that have inhibited collaboration between industry and government. Each private enterprise must show concern over a public’s acceptance of its standards, or it cannot survive for long. As a competitor, governments own and manage extensive land areas, facilities, and services, and they direct programs for the recreating public. In tourism, the profit-making sector is important and is represented by several levels: small, independent businesses, chain and franchise corporations, and lease or concession arrangements on public lands.
