Hawaii’s economy depends more on outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, water sports, golf and tennis than in any other state, according to a new U.S. Commerce Department report.
The outdoor recreational industry accounted for 5.4% of Hawaii’s gross domestic product in 2017. Next up were Montana and Maine, where recreation contributed 5.1% and 4.8% to the economy, respectively.
The industry added $427 billion, or 2.2%, to the nation’s GDP, according to the report released Friday.
Hawaii for its part received nearly $4.8 billion in 2017 from the outdoor recreation industry. The calculations include conventional recreation as well as outdoor festivals and concerts, amusement parks and supporting activities such as construction, retail and manufacturing.
Hawaii was also among the nation’s leaders in percentage of employment and total employee compensation related to outdoor recreation. The report noted that 7.9% of the state’s employees were involved in outdoor recreation, trailing only Wyoming’s 8%. In terms of percentage of total employee compensation attributed to the industry, Hawaii was tops at 5.1%, with Wyoming trailing at 4.7%.
Vermont, Wyoming, Florida and Alaska also showed a higher relative dependence on outdoor recreation, making up more than 4% of their respective state GDP. Connecticut, Ohio and New York were least dependent on the sector.
Real gross output, labor compensation and employment all grew more in outdoor recreation than the economy as a whole. The industry expanded by an inflation-adjusted 3.9% in 2017, the most recent data available, faster than the broader economy’s 2.4% growth.
Boating and fishing added $20.9 billion to the national economy during the year, led by Florida and California. RVing was the second-largest activity, with $16.9 billion in value added, paced by Indiana and Ohio.