Outdoor Rec Contributes $9.8 Billion To State Economy

A report released this week shows that Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation industry contributed a record-breaking $9.8 billion to the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022, growing 6.8 percent over the previous record set in 2021. 

The Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) showed it was the highest contribution by the outdoor recreation sector since 2018 when the BEA started measuring the industry’s economic impact and releasing the figures annually.

Wisconsin’s Motorcycling/ATVing sector contributed over $1 billion and ranks first among all states. Top contributing sectors by activity in Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation industry included:

• Multi-use apparel and accessories: $1.15 billion
• Motorcycling/ATV/UTV: $1.1 billion
• Boating and Fishing: $710 million
• RVing: $553 million

Additional information on Wisconsin’s outdoor industry can be found on the Office of Outdoor Recreation website at tinyurl.com/48h792ye.