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Keith McCord ReportingSalt Lake's biggest convention ever is in town this weekend. With more than 20-thousand visitors in town, the Outdoor Retailers convention provides a huge boost to the local economy, but what's the bigger picture?
Today, we found out just how important hunting, fishing, boating and camping is to the national economy! Does going for a hike, or riding a raft, and making a run down the ski slope really make a significant difference to the nation's economic picture? And if so, how much?
Frank Hugelmeyer: "The outdoor industry foundation has completed the industry's first study quantifying the contribution of the outdoor industries to the US economy."
The survey examined the whole range of outdoor activities, winter and summer, from hiking to fishing to paddling to skiing. And the numbers are actually quite huge. The outdoor industry represents eight percent of the entire US economy. How big is that? $730 billion.
Rob Southwick, Southwick Associates: "The best way of interpreting that number, if people who participate in outdoor recreation suddenly stopped spending their money, and did not spend it anywhere else, the US economy would shrink by 730 billion dollars."
Results of a nationwide survey were released at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market today,with Governor Huntsman and -S Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne in attendance.
When all the data was crunched, the survey revealed that outdoor enthusiasts will spend an average of $61 if they go on a day trip somewhere. If they stay overnight, they'll spend an average of $115 dollars. Every year, they'll buy 185 dollars worth of various equipment.
And with 130-million people actively enjoying the outdoors in the US each year, those numbers add up.
Frank Hugelmeyer, Pres. Outdoor Industry Assn: "The economic analysis provides a very vivid identification of how dynamic this industry is, and the role that it is playing in promoting a healthier America, by fostering active lifestyles and family-oriented activities."
