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Outdoor Rec Industry Records $862B Economic Output in 2021

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) on November 9 released the 2021 Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account report highlighting the outdoor recreation industry’s impact on the US economy.

The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable also announced the news, revealing the sector produced $862 billion in gross economic output in 2021.

“The outdoor recreation economy came back stronger than ever after the COVID-19 pandemic and remains a steady source of strength nationally and a booming job creator locally,” the coalition’s statement reads.

According to BEA, the outdoor recreation economy accounted for 1.9% ($454 billion value added) of the current-dollar gross domestic product (GDP) for the nation in 2021.

Over the years, the outdoor recreation sector, including the camping, boating, fishing, and RV industries, has helped in creating jobs, boosting local tourism and economic growth, and establishing healthy communities. 

The 2021 numbers show that throughout the 50 states and the District of Columbia, outdoor recreation employment increased last year, ranging from 23.4% in Hawaii to 6.9% in Michigan.

The report highlighted that RVing was the second-largest conventional activity for the nation, with $25.1 billion in current-dollar value added, and was the largest conventional activity in 15 states. Its largest contributors were Indiana with $5.4 billion, Texas at $2.2 billion, and California at $2.0 billion.

On Wednesday afternoon, outdoor recreation industry experts joined the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable’s (ORR) webinar to discuss the latest data.

The ORR webinar featured industry experts, including speakers from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Congress, and State Offices of Outdoor Recreation. 

Outdoor recreation executives scheduled to be present were Jessica Turner, president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable; Frank Hugelmeyer, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association; Michael Happe, president and CEO of Winnebago Industries; Thomas Howells, chief of the Industry Economics Division at Bureau of Economic Analysis; Toby O’Rourke, president and CEO of Kampgrounds of America, Inc.; and Colin Robertson, administrator at Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation.

In 2020, the U.S. outdoor recreation economy produced over $659 billion. This accounted for 1.8%, ($374.3 billion value added) of the country’s GDP in the said year.

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Sarah Moore
Sarah Moore
February 22, 2024 3:15 am

Can you believe that the outdoor recreation industry thrived in 2021, despite COVID-19 challenges? RVing played a major role in its $862B economic output! Astounding!

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Hi, you might find this article from Modern Campground interesting: Outdoor Rec Industry Records 2B Economic Output in 2021! This is the link: https://moderncampground.com/usa/breaking-news-outdoor-rec-industry-contributed-454b-to-us-gdp-in-2021/