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Americans value their opportunities to recreate in the great outdoors more than ever, as reflected in the latest Outdoor Industry Association economic report.
The association's 2017 assessment of "The Outdoor Recreation Economy," released Tuesday, put consumer spending in this sector at $887 million last year. That represented a 37 percent increase from the $646 million reported as recently as 2013.
Impacts of that rapidly expanding spending also were evident in federal, state and local government tax coffers.
State and local entities took in $59.2 billion in taxes from outdoor recreational purchases and pursuits, a 49 percent bump from the $39.7 million tax-collection figure in 2013. The federal government did even better, its revenues rising 64 percent to $65.3 billion (from $39.9 billion).
Serving the outdoor recreation community also provided jobs last year for 7.6 million Americans, 25 percent more than the 6.1 million who were employed in that industry four years earlier.
"From the smallest rural towns to the most densely populated cities, outdoor recreation makes America stronger," said OIA spokeswoman Amy Roberts. "The outdoor recreation economy is not only thriving, but a powerful economic force that embodies the American spirit.
"Public lands and waters are the foundation of this power economic force. By investing in and protecting America's public lands and waters, we invest in our future and the continued well-being of America," she added.
Discontented with Utah's approach to public lands and its efforts to overturn the designation of Bears Ears National Monument or reduce its acreage, the OIA has supported efforts to move the lucrative, twice-annual Outdoor Retailer trade shows — and their $45 million-a-year contribution to Utah's economy — to another state more willing to embrace recreation.
Despite that setback, state officials are well aware of the importance of the recreation industry to Utah's economy, said Tom Adams Jr., director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation in the Governor's Office of Economic Development.
"That's definitely something that, as a state, we understand well," he said, noting that "places like Ogden, Park City and Moab have been recognized around the world for being the best in class. In addition, many of our other cities are expanding or enhancing recreation to diversify their economies."
Of the $887 billion spent last year, OIA's Roberts said, spending on trips — including items such as airfare, gas, lodging, groceries, ski-lift tickets, guides and lessons — amounted to $702 billion. An additional $184.5 billion was spent on gear, including vehicles.
To emphasize the importance of outdoor recreation compared with the extractive industries, the OIA report said hunting and fishing operations employ 483,000 people, while only 180,000 work in the oil and gas industry.
American spending
An Outdoor Industry Association report found that Americans spent $887 billion last year on outdoor recreation, a number that dwarfed other areas of spending:
Pharmaceuticals: $466 billion
Motor vehicles: $465 billion
Household utilities: $313 billion
Gasoline and fuel: $304 billion
Education: $278 billion