According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), in 2019, outdoor recreation added $1.7 billion to the Wyoming economy and accounted for 21,344 jobs and $785 million in wages. In Wyoming, 5.2% of all jobs and 4.1% of all wages in the state come from the outdoor recreation sector.
“This latest report confirms what we already know about the impact of outdoor recreation on Wyoming’s economy,” said Dave Glenn, Deputy Director of State Parks and Cultural Resources. “Think about it, outdoor recreation brings in millions of outdoor enthusiasts who contribute hundreds of millions of dollars in needed state and local tax revenue. Throw in 21,344 jobs and $785 million in wages for our communities, and outdoor recreation is a driving economic force in Wyoming. With continued efforts, there is no reason this number won’t continue to grow in the coming years.”
Wyoming ranked fourth nationally in terms of outdoor recreation’s percentage of state Gross Domestic Product at 4.2%. Wyoming comes in just behind Montana at 4.7% but ahead of Utah (3.3%), Colorado (3.1%), and all other neighboring states. This 4.2% is double the national outdoor recreation average GDP.
The top five contributing recreational activities in Wyoming are snow activities, RVing, equestrian, hunting/shooting/trapping, and boating/fishing.
“The numbers in this report are pre-Covid-19, so it will be interesting to see how they change for 2020,” said Chris Floyd, Manager of the Office of Outdoor Recreation. “The pandemic has accelerated the growth of outdoor recreation tourism, and we have the capacity to bring in more. For our office, the goal is to sustainably design, manage and direct this visitation in order to preserve the wide open spaces we love in Wyoming. ”
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the United States Department of Commerce provides official macroeconomic and industry statistics, including the gross domestic product (GDP) of the nation, states, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas. The full 2019 BEA outdoor recreation report can be found at https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/outdoor-recreation.
