Annual data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis show Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation industry contributed a record-setting $8.7 billion to the state’s gross domestic product in 2021.
Additionally, Wisconsin’s outdoor economy grew by 14.1 percent—more than three times faster than the state’s overall economy, which grew by 4.6 percent.
“From hunting and fishing to boating and paddling to snowboarding and skiing, outdoor recreation is part of who we are as a people and a state—it improves our quality of life, draws visitors from all over the world, supports tens of thousands, and serves as a major economic driver for communities across Wisconsin,” says Gov. Tony Evers. “I’m proud of our work to create the Office of Outdoor Recreation and to ensure this critical industry recovers from the pandemic, and these numbers are an excellent testament to this important work and the Office’s success.”
Key findings of the report show Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation industry supported nearly 90,000 jobs across various sectors in 2021, with a growth rate of 9.7 percent compared to 2.4 percent for all jobs. Manufacturing jobs accounted for 10 percent of all outdoor recreation jobs in each of the last two years, ranking Wisconsin fourth in the country. Despite supply chain issues during the pandemic, manufacturing jobs continued to grow from 2019 to 2021, increasing by 11 percent.
The data also show travel and tourism, as well as local trips, account for nearly $2.8 billion of outdoor recreation’s contributions to Wisconsin’s GDP. In 2020, Wisconsin was one of only seven states to see an increase in economic impact from local outdoor recreation-related trips. In 2021, the economic impact of local trips grew even more, increasing by 7.2 percent to $771 million.
“We’ve long understood this inextricable link between outdoor recreation and tourism. Our traveler surveys consistently show outdoor recreation is a top marketable reason people visit Wisconsin,” says Secretary-designee Anne Sayers. “Supporting the entire outdoor recreation industry through the work of the Office of Outdoor Recreation is essential to safeguard and enhance a significant tourism offering that helped buoy our industry during the most unprecedented challenges of the pandemic.”
The Office of Outdoor Recreation was created at the Department of Tourism by Evers in 2019 and serves as a central hub for Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation industry, working with stakeholders and providing resources to bolster Wisconsin as a top outdoor recreation destination.
“This incredible growth puts an exclamation point on the significance of the outdoor industry to our economy and the overall well-being of Wisconsin and Wisconsinites,” says Office of Outdoor Recreation Director Mary Monroe Brown. “The Office is working with partners to not only unite the industry but also to deliver critical resources, like the recent workforce attraction tool that businesses are already using to attract talent to our beautiful state.”
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