Outdoor recreation in Wisconsin last year hit a new record high for economic impact, adding $9.8 billion to the state GDP.
State officials yesterday announced the latest U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis figures, showing a 6.8% increase in 2022 over the previous economic impact record from 2021. It’s the largest state impact since at least 2018, when the federal agency started releasing these figures, the release shows.
The combined impact of travel and tourism and local trips under 50 miles reached nearly $3 billion last year, according to yesterday’s announcement. Those figures increased 14.2% and 8.7%, respectively, over the year.
And Wisconsin’s motorcycling and ATV sector contributed more than $1 billion — more than any other state, the release shows.
Meanwhile, multi-use apparel and accessories hit $1.15 billion, boating and fishing reached $710 million and RVing hit $553 million.
“The outdoors is consistently cited as a top reason visitors choose Wisconsin, and that is a credit to our amazing natural places and our passionate destinations, guides, and outfitters who welcome travelers to experience all our state has to offer,” Department of Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers said in a statement.
Outdoor recreation made up 2.5% of state GDP in 2022, which was 0.1% higher over the year. The industry supported 94,042 jobs, which is 4.8% more than in 2021, making up 3.1% of total state employment. And the sector’s employee compensation reached $4.7 billion in 2022, for an increase of 5.3%.
See the release: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/37d6a56
–By Alex Moe
