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The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released economic data from the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account for the year 2022, showing the largest economic impact in the history of the Account and outdoor recreation’s powerful and positive economic impact on the U.S. economy. These new figures reveal that outdoor recreation generates $1.1 trillion in economic output (2.2% of GDP), 4.98 million jobs and comprises 3.2% of U.S. employees.
“The strong data from BEA are in sync with our own sales numbers showing continued and immense consumer interest in outdoor recreation with powersports vehicles,” said Erik Pritchard, President and CEO of the Motorcycle Industry Council, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, and the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association. “In fact, our data show that dual-sport motorcycles, which can be used on- and off-road for recreation, have doubled in sales since 2016, and off-road motorcycle sales are on a significant growth trajectory,” he adds.
“Having annual data from BEA will help legislators understand the significant economic impact that the outdoor recreation industry brings to our nation, and why investments to protect and grow access to public lands and waters is essential to the health of America and Americans.,” Pritchard noted. “It also proves that big dividends come from federal funding for programs like the Recreational Trails Program, which benefits motorized and non-motorized recreational interests for people of all abilities.”
This is the sixth consecutive year that BEA has released national and state level data on this critical sector. Today’s release shows how the outdoor industry continues to grow and thrive, supporting jobs and local economies in communities across the country, bolstering the national economy, and providing myriad benefits to the increasing number of Americans who seek time outside. The BEA data demonstrates how vitally important outdoor recreation has become and its potential to continue to grow.
“If there’s one thing to take away from today’s BEA presentation it’s this: the state of the outdoor recreation economy is strong, and sustained investment in outdoor recreation and our shared public lands and waters pays dividends for our local and national economies and quality of life,” explained Jessica Turner, president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR). “Our industry continues to provide benefits to communities across the country – big, small, urban, and rural alike. To ensure that this success is sustainable and that our public lands and waters will continue to be accessible to all Americans for generations to come, we will continue to work together with leaders on the passage of America’s Outdoor Recreation Act by the end of this year. We are thrilled to once again see the data reflect what we hear everyday, that outdoor recreation is not a nice to have — but a necessity for healthy people, places, and economies.”
“As we begin the 2023-24 snowmobile season, we are pleased to report that the snow is falling, and cold weather is here… Advanced sales on snowmobiles and related clothing and accessories are strong,” said Ed Klim, President, International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association. “The snowmobile shows are being held across the United States and families are filling the shows with eager anticipation for a great season. Families are already making their winter travel plans on snowmobiles, which expands the economic impact in rural America and supports outdoor activities on our public lands in the National Forests and State Forests.”
“This new BEA data demonstrates the importance of the recreational boating and fishing industries to the outdoor recreation economy as a whole and makes clear the role retailers play in making this possible,” added Matt Gruhn, President of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. “Outdoor recreation and recreational boating and fishing in particular are economic drivers in their communities and nationwide.”
America’s outdoor recreation community, represented by ORR, continues to support the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (ORSA) – the project compiling and releasing this data. Just like is the case for many other industries, the goal is to provide annual data on the economic importance of national and regional outdoor recreation economies that can be tracked for years to come. To learn more about ORR and outdoor recreation’s contributions to the economy, click here:
https://recreationroundtable.org/resources/national-recreation-data/