Outdoor Recreation Still A Popular Choice

Nationwide and in Florida, green space often leads to greenbacks. Outdoor recreation activities accounted for about 3% of Florida’s gross domestic product in 2020, above the just under 2% for the U.S. overall, according to recent Bureau of Economic Analysis data on the economic impact of the outdoors. Indications also show that the outdoors remained a popular choice into 2021. Activities classified as conventional outdoor recreation, like boating, fishing, RVing, hiking and wildlife viewing, remained steady in 2020 despite the industry challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We do know that places that were open (in 2020) like parks, they experienced tremendous growth that would not be seen in an economic analysis,” said Taylor Stein, a professor with the University of Florida’s School of Forest Resources and Conservation. “People are still spending money on staycations, and the fact is, when they couldn’t go to Europe they turned to the U.S. and their national and state parks.”

The economic impact of conventional outdoor recreation accounted for more than 37% of all value-added outdoor recreation experiences in 2020 in the U.S., up from 30% a year prior, according to the BEA.

Greater spending on boating and fishing, where Florida led the nation with $3.8 billion in GDP in 2020, was a key factor in this increase.

In Florida’s 11th congressional district, which includes The Villages, anglers had an economic impact of $522 million and supported about 4,500 jobs, according to the most recent estimates from the American Sportfishing Association.

“As the BEA numbers indicate, 2020 was an extraordinary year for recreational fishing,” said Glenn Hughes, president of the American Sportfishing Association, in a statement. “When the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, people turned to the outdoors like never before. We saw a big uptick in fishing participation from families with children as well a new generation of young anglers.”

Recreational vehicle travel, or RVing, also grew in popularity. Nationwide, it was responsible for more than $19 billion in GDP.

Interest in RVing, along with activities like kayaking and wildlife viewing, continues inspiring interest in state and national parks — so much that people may have a hard time finding campsites, Stein said.

Read the full article from The Villages Daily Sun here.