08/31/2026
What is outdoor recreation worth to the economy?
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis has released its latest numbers: outdoor recreation contributed US$696.7 billion to U.S. GDP in 2024, accounting for 2.4% of the national economy and 5.2 million jobs.
What’s interesting for B.C. is not just the size of the U.S. outdoor recreation economy, but how it is measured. The analysis captures economic activity across recreation, travel, accommodation, retail, manufacturing, transportation and other industries.
The Province of BC is now working toward its own Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account, a more consistent way to measure and report the economic value of outdoor recreation in the province.
We already know the sector directly contributed an estimated $4.8 billion to B.C.’s economy in 2023. A satellite account should give us an even stronger picture of outdoor recreation’s role in our economy and communities, and a better foundation for future investment and decision-making.
An interesting look at how the U.S. is measuring the outdoor recreation economy:
https://apps.bea.gov/scb/issues/2026/06-june/0626-outdoor-recreation.htm
