Connecticut’s outdoor recreation economy — which encompasses activities such as bicycling, boating, gardening and tourism — contributes $3.9 billion to the state’s GDP and employs more than 44,000 people, according to a new report published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Overall, the outdoor recreation economy accounted for 1.3% of Connecticut’s current-dollar GDP in 2021, according to the BEA analysis.
Meantime, employment in the state’s outdoor recreation economy grew 13.1% from 2020 to 2021 to 44,065. That produced $2 billion in outdoor recreation compensation.
Nationally, the outdoor recreation economy accounted for 1.9% ($454 billion) of current-dollar GDP in 2021 and employs 4.5 million people.
According to the BEA, outdoor recreation activities fall into three general categories: conventional activities such as bicycling, boating, hiking, and hunting; other activities such as gardening and outdoor concerts; and supporting activities such as construction, travel and tourism, local trips, and government expenditures.
In 2021, conventional outdoor recreation accounted for 35.1% of U.S. outdoor recreation value added, compared with 40.1% in 2020.
Other outdoor recreation accounted for 17.6% of value added in 2021, compared with 17.5% in 2020.
Supporting activities accounted for the remaining 47.3% of value added in 2021, compared with 42.4% in 2020.
Supporting activities, particularly travel and tourism, rebounded in 2021 as COVID–19 restrictions eased and consumers traveled more and increased spending on transportation, hotels and restaurants, BEA said.
