ORR Survey Shows Outdoor Recreation Hit Hard By COVID-19

An Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) member survey, in partnership with the Oregon State University Outdoor Recreation Economy Initiative, finds that the outdoor recreation industry is facing dramatically decreased sales and revenue, difficulties with production and distribution, and large numbers of furloughs and layoffs.

ORR surveyed its member trade associations representing more than 100,000 businesses from RVing and camping to boating and fishing to hunting and biking businesses about the impacts their organizations and member companies have felt since the pandemic began. According to the responses of the 20 participating national outdoor recreation trade associations, representing businesses with nearly 2 million employees, the impact is startling:

• Of the businesses this survey represents, 89%, are experiencing difficulty with production and distribution, with 68% experiencing significant impacts.
• 79% of these businesses have laid off or furloughed a portion of their workforce, with 11% closing, or laying off most of or all of staff.
• 89% of outdoor industry businesses are experiencing a decrease in sales with 39% seeing a decrease of 50 to 75% or greater.
• 80% of outdoor industry trade associations are seeing a decrease in revenue with 30% seeing a decrease of 50 to 75% or greater.

Typically, a point of pride for the outdoor industry is its connection and relationship with rural and “gateway” communities but unfortunately because fewer Americans are able to recreate in these places, and retail is closed, rural communities are suffering. National unemployment data that came out verifies that some recreation-based communities are seeing disproportionate increases in unemployment averaging 57% in Colorado and 25% in New Mexico.

This is why ORR is working on smart fixes to the CARES Act to help more small businesses and urging Congress to take further action to help the outdoor recreation industry and its rural partners by passing the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). GAOA includes essential funding for the maintenance backlog on our public lands that will help to stimulate local communities. It also provides full funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, ensuring that projects that bolster recreation-dependent communities across the country will get done, as Americans seek to get outside away from crowds and practice safe social distancing and healthy outdoor recreation in the coming months.