Utah outdoor recreation industry worth $9.5B
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Outdoor recreation's impact on Utah's economy surged to $9.5 billion in 2023, a 7% increase from the prior year.
Why it matters: The industry's growth continues post-pandemic and now accounts for 3.4% of the state's economy — up from 3.2% in 2022, according to a U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report released in November.
Follow the money: Utah's outdoor recreation industry and related tourism contributed 71,900 jobs, or 4% of total employment in 2023.
- Snow activities — including skiing and snowmobiling — are the lion's share of the impact, accounting for $643 million in economic value, followed by boating and fishing at $537 million, and RVing at $412 million.
Zoom in: The 2002 Winter Olympics may have put Utah on the map — but until 2022, snow sports contributed less to the economy than boating and fishing or RVing did.
The intrigue: The outdoor industry's share of Utah employment has declined each year since its peak in 2021.
By the numbers: Utah ranks third in the nation for economic impact from snow sports and saw outdoor rec contribute the eighth-largest share of the state's GDP.
- Hawaii ranked first for the industry's GDP share at 6.3%.
- For snow sports, Colorado and California outranked Utah.
What they're saying: U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah) called the outdoor industry one of "the last bastions of real bipartisan cooperation."
- "We quibble over certain things, and we're going to continue to do that," Moore said during a November webinar. "But it's been really neat to have a productive lane to work [in Washington, D.C.], knowing that I represent some of the most beautiful landscapes in America, in the state of Utah."
The other side: The outdoor industry has frequently been at odds with the state's land management approaches, even temporarily moving the Outdoor Retailer convention from Salt Lake to Denver in 2017 to protest Utah's support for then-President Trump's reduction of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments.
- The convention returned in 2023, when organizers said the move back would allow the industry to be more "engaged" in debate over public lands.
The big picture: The outdoor recreation industry is now valued at $1.2 trillion nationwide, accounting for 2.3% of the U.S. economy and 5 million jobs, the BEA report found.
- The industry's 3.6% year-over-year growth exceeded the U.S. economy as a whole, which grew at 2.9% in 2023.
- The top activities at the national level are boating and fishing and RVing, while the fastest-growing are bicycling, snow sports and hunting.
- Snow sports ranked No. 5, with a $7.7 billion national economic impact.
Between the lines: Outdoor advocates created the Great American Outdoors Act, passed in 2020, to invest billions in upgrading the nation's national parks.
- The funding for repairs and maintenance expires in 2025, and conservationists are pushing for its reauthorization.
What's next: Public lands advocates are pushing Congress to finalize approval of the EXPLORE Act, which passed the U.S. House in April. The legislation represents the largest measure ever to support outdoor recreation and would update management policies and invest more money in recreational spaces.
- Moore and outgoing U.S. Rep. (now Utah Sen.-elect) John Curtis co-sponsored the bill in the House.