Outdoor recreation adds $20.7 billion to Georgia's GDP
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Outdoor recreation contributed 2.3% of Georgia's gross domestic product in 2024, according to new U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data.
The big picture: The outdoor recreation economy accounted for 2.4% of U.S. GDP in 2024, recent data shows.
- That's in current dollars, and equivalent to nearly $700 billion.
Catch up quick: Nationwide, GDP for the outdoor economy was up 2.7% in 2024 — a slowdown from 2023, when it grew 5.3% from the previous year.
Zoom in: Total recreation spending in Georgia was more than $20.7 billion in 2024 and employed more than 168,000 people.
- The tallies include conventional outdoor activities like hiking, hunting and bicycling, other activities like outdoor concerts, and supporting work, like construction and tourism.
By the numbers: Conventional outdoor recreation added almost $6.3 billion to the Georgia GDP.
- 🎶 Other outdoor recreation, including music festivals and amusement parks, added nearly $4 billion to the state's GDP.
- 🚤 Boating and fishing accounted for nearly $1.1 billion of the state's GDP.
- Boating and fishing were the biggest economic drivers nationwide among "conventional activities," adding $38.4 billion to the U.S. GDP.
Zoom in: A cut of a voter-approved tax on outdoor recreation equipment sales in Georgia has generated hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire green space and improve parks.
- Recent winners of the funding awards include a new wildlife management area next to the Okefenokee Swamp and a new Atlanta park.
Whats next: State lawmakers are currently debating whether they should dedicate more of the tax revenue to the popular program.