Recreation and Tourism are a big industry within Wisconsin, and especially so within the Driftless Region. Recreational pursuits are accessible and available with little travel–hunting, fishing, biking, hiking, boating of all kinds, gardening, are just a few to enable residents and visitors a way to connect to our spectacular environment.
Outdoor recreation helps attract and retain professionals, directly supporting jobs across diverse economic sectors.
The outdoor recreation economy in Wisconsin is diverse, employing people in a variety of sectors in both rural and urban areas. These jobs would not exist were it not for the outdoor recreation industry.
Wisconsin is a national powerhouse in outdoor recreation manufacturing.
Manufacturing is an essential part of the outdoor recreation economy in Wisconsin, providing 9 out of every 100 jobs related to outdoor recreation in the state. Many prominent outdoor companies are based in Wisconsin, including Johnson Outdoors, Trek Bicycles, Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, and numerous others.
Manufacturing jobs are particularly valuable because, on average, they pay 19% higher wages than the rest of the economy. In 2017 the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the U.S. Department of Commerce estimated that 8,378 people
working in manufacturing in Wisconsin were part of the outdoor economy. Collectively the compensation (salaries plus benefits) for these workers totaled just under $887 million dollars, which translates to $105,853 per employee.
OUTDOOR RECREATION PROMOTES RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS.
Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation opportunities are a competitive economic advantage for the state. Studies have shown that access to outdoor recreation and an outdoor lifestyle attract and retain local citizens; draw entrepreneurs who locate their business for quality-of-life considerations; and serve as an advantage for business owners to attract talented employees. These competitive advantages benefit both rural and urban areas in Wisconsin – many outdoor recreation manufacturing businesses are located in rural communities.
