Fishing boat on the Fox River in De Pere, December 28, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
(WTAQ-WLUK) — New data shows Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation industry grew nearly 10% in 2023, breaking the previous year’s record.
According to the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), outdoor recreation contributed $11.2 billion to the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, growing 9.4% over the previous record set in 2022.
In June, Gov. Tony Evers announced that Wisconsin’s tourism industry saw its second consecutive record-breaking year in 2023. According to 2023 economic impact data, the tourism industry generated $25 billion in total economic impact, surpassing the previous record year of $23.7 billion set in 2022.
“The increase in outdoor recreation travel is a testament to Wisconsin’s remarkable natural assets, our passionate guides and dedicated tourism professionals that leverage our beautiful state, and our outdoor recreation offerings to attract visitors from near and far to discover the unexpected,” said Tourism Secretary Sayers. “With the Office of Outdoor Recreation supporting this important sector, we can be confident the outdoors remain a top reason people choose to visit Wisconsin.”
When using updated 2022 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data, all topline metrics for the outdoor recreation industry in Wisconsin were record-breaking:
- $11.2 billion contributed to Wisconsin’s GDP—up 9.4%
- 2.6% share of Wisconsin’s GDP
- 96,867 jobs supported—up 3.4%
- 3.2% of state employment
- $5.4 billion in employee compensation—up 8.9%
The report showed that Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation industry grew across the board, with all but one category increasing year over year.
Top contributing sectors by activity in Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation industry included:
- Multi-use apparel and accessories: $1.3 billion
- Motorcycling/ATVing: $1.1 billion
- Boating/fishing: $928 million
- RVing: $464 million
- Games Areas: $499 million
- Guided Tours/Outfitted Travel: $450 million
- Hunting Shooting: $320 million
- Bicycling: $157 million
Additionally, travel and tourism spending associated with outdoor recreation trips of more than 50 miles from home also saw impressive growth of 11.7% over 2022, and local trips saw a notable increase of 5.8%.
Nationally, the outdoor recreation industry grew to $1.2 trillion in gross output and, for the second year in a row, contributed more than $1 trillion in gross output to the U.S. economy. The industry employed nearly 5 million people nationwide. When compared with national statistics, Wisconsin’s 9.4% growth in the outdoor recreation industry outpaced the national average, which is 9%, and outpaced the overall state economy, which grew by 6.9% in 2023.
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