The State Outdoor Business Alliance Network (SOBAN) represents an alliance of outdoor businesses around the country working together to elevate and promote the outdoors. Their mission is to build up businesses, outdoor spaces, and recreation opportunities throughout the United States. Idaho Business for the Outdoors is proud to be a part of their network of organizations spanning 19 states and parts of Canada. SOBAN just released their Summer 2021 research titled “Inspiring the Future Outdoor Recreation Economy”. Their research and summer 2021 report primarily covered the impact of the 2020 pandemic and the impact on the outdoor industry.

The outdoor industry had quite the year during the COVID-19 pandemic. While many businesses and industries saw lockdown and pandemic related slowdowns, the outdoor industry saw largely increasing numbers in terms of participation. From the SOBAN report, bicycles and boat sales saw increases of 121% and 70% respectively. Other industries such as camping saw increases of 28%, hiking 16%, fishing 12%, and RV sales 7%. Further findings show that the participation in the outdoors is also growing in terms of racial, ethnic, and gender diversity.

As participation in the outdoors grew during the pandemic, so did the positive economic effects. The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that the value adding contribution of the outdoor industry on GDP was $459.8 billion in 2019. To put that in perspective, that is approximately 2.4x larger than oil and gas, 2.8x larger than vehicle manufacturing, and 3x larger than air transportation industries. The outdoor industry employs nearly 5.2 million people within the US economy and continues to thrive as a crucial part of our national economy.

In Idaho, we are grateful for the natural beauty and recreational opportunities available to us. Living in Idaho, our public lands and outdoor spaces offer so much from hikes in the foothills, riding your bike on the Hiawatha Bike Trail, to skiing in the winter. From a study presented in SOBAN, outdoor access and recreational opportunities were some of the largest factors attracting new businesses and employees. The natural beauty of State of Idaho allows for economic growth and prosperity. Businesses and entrepreneurs who move to outdoor recreation communities support many economic sectors like health care, construction, and retail. For the sake of Idaho’s continued economic and business success, we must support the outdoors. We are proud to represent the state of Idaho in the State Outdoor Business Alliance Network.