Boating, fishing the top active outdoor earners in the US, study shows

Boating and fishing was worth $US36.9 billion ($A50 billion) to the US economy in 2016, the first-ever economic study of how much outdoor activities contribute to the nation’s wealth has revealed.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis’s report to the US government, released this week, singled out boating and fishing as the largest contributor of all the outdoor activities measured, including games such as golf and tennis, recreational vehicles, guided tours and outfitted travel, festivals and concerts, and trailbikes.

The industry even outperformed the annual contribution made by amusement parks and dog mushing, the latter contributing to a $US5.2 billion spend in the more obscure snow-related activities such as sledding, snowshoeing and snow tubing, and even snowmobiling.

The breakdown of the figures show non-boat fishing, which has grown in value by 26 percent since 2012, was on its own was worth $US6.09 billion in 2016, while power boating was worth $US27.9 billion. Sailing contributed $US2.25 billion, while kayaking and canoeing added a combined $US640 million.

Overall, US residents heading for the great outdoors in 2016 added more than $US734 billion to the national economy, the figures show. Power boating grew by 15 percent over the survey period from 2012-16, and fishing by almost 27 percent compared with just 8.0 percent for the outdoor industry as a whole.

The benefits run deeper, with the statistics showing the outdoor economy’s growth was outpacing the entire US economy, particularly in the areas of wages and employment.

A government-backed study of Australia’s marine industry found recreational fishing was the nation’s fifth largest outdoor activity, with the highest levels of participation in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. In Queensland alone, each barramundi caught was estimated to bring up to the equivalent of $153 in economic benefit to the state.

In Victoria’s Gippsland Lakes region, the recreational boat sector was estimated to contribute up to $163 million in economic benefits.

In 2001 – the last time the figures were assessed – the federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources determined that recreational fishing contributed an estimated $1.8 billion to the Australian economy.

The Boating Industry Association estimates the entire Australian marine industry was worth about $8.5 billion last financial year, employing more than 27,000 people across more than 2250 businesses. The new boat sales segment is the leading industry, followed by charter operators, and mooring and marina services.