The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) will host a virtual media briefing March 5 to present newly released federal data on the economic performance of the United States outdoor recreation sector, including national and state-level statistics compiled by the Bureau of Economic Analysis within the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Scheduled for 11 a.m. Eastern, the online event will introduce updated government figures measuring the size and impact of the outdoor recreation economy in 2024.
The dataset represents the most recent federal analysis of the sector and was delayed following last year’s government shutdown, according to organizers.
The briefing will highlight economic trends and performance indicators across the outdoor recreation industry, including how the sector contributes to local economies and employment across the country.
The new statistics will cover the national economy as well as all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Industry leaders, government economists and outdoor recreation officials are expected to discuss the findings and provide analysis of the data during the session.
Confirmed participants include Jessica Turner, president of the ORR; Christy LaCurelle, president and chief executive officer of the Motorcycle Industry Council; economists Stas Rzeznik and Connor Franks of the Bureau of Economic Analysis; Kai Twanmoh, head of brand engagement at AllTrails; Nathan Reigner, director of outdoor recreation at the Pennsylvania Office of Outdoor Recreation; and Glenn Hughes, president of the American Sportfishing Association.
According to the ORR, the briefing will provide a detailed look at how outdoor recreation industries are performing amid broader economic pressures while continuing to support jobs and economic activity in communities across the United States.
The upcoming release will mark the eighth consecutive year the Bureau of Economic Analysis has published official federal statistics measuring the outdoor recreation economy. Prior to 2017, the federal government did not produce dedicated economic data tracking the sector.
The data collection stems from the Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act, a bipartisan law enacted in 2016 that directed the federal government to measure the economic contributions of outdoor recreation industries.
The law also requires the Commerce Department to submit a comprehensive report to Congress detailing the sector’s impact, including employment and consumer spending generated by outdoor recreation activities.