New report says boating a significant part of the outdoor recreation economy

The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) released the 2017 edition of the Outdoor Recreation Economy Report. The report captures the power of the outdoor recreation economy which creates billions of dollars in consumer spending and millions of American jobs. Water sports, which includes boating, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, surfing, scuba and stand-up paddle boarding, generated an estimated $139.9 billion in direct spending, 1,234,876 jobs, $43.8 billion in wages, $10.6 billion in federal taxes and $9.6 billion in state taxes. Key findings indicate that spending on outdoor recreation significantly outperforms spending on other popular activities.