A new study commissioned by the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) suggests that the “Outdoor Economy” accounts for $887 billion in annual consumer spending in the U.S.
Other highlights include:
- $7.6 million U.S. jobs attributed to outdoor activity and spending
- $65.3 billion in annual federal tax revenue
- $59.2 billion in additional state and local tax revenue
The study was conducted for OIA by Southwick Associates and was released during the Outdoor Summit in Washington, DC, where industry leaders are gathered to discuss ways to leverage their economic power with lawmakers and regulators.
The findings suggest that outdoor spending and activity is growing. The total U.S. consumer spending is a up 37 percent from the $646 million annual estimate in the previous OIA study released in 2012.
Some of that growth comes from broadening the definition of outdoor sports to include surfing, skateboarding, sailing, and four others to a list that already included SUP, snowboarding, free skiing, fishing, camping, and two dozen other related activities.
Click here to read the full report.
Click on the slideshow above to see highlights from the report.
Click here to read about SIMA’s most recent Consumer Insights Report on surf-related spending and impacts.
