As we continue through the busy time for consumer spending, data released by Snowsports Industries America (SIA) show that winter outdoor consumers are responsible for more than $79 billion in spending and support 799,000 jobs.
The report shows that between 2016 and 2019, consumer spending in the winter outdoor industry grew 9.5 percent from $72.7 billion to $79.6 billion. Jobs supported by the industry grew even more substantially from 695,000 in 2016 to 799,000 in 2019, a 15 percent growth. These numbers provide a pre-COVID baseline by which SIA hopes to gain a better understanding of the impacts of the pandemic on the winter outdoor community beginning in March 2020.
This data will be an essential component of SIA’s advocacy efforts going forward, proving that the winter outdoor industry is truly an economic engine, with actual data showing what’s at stake as the impacts of climate change become more evident.
SIA researchers built on 2016 research conducted by Southwick and Associates, adjusting expenditures for inflation and participation for population growth, using a 2019 IMPLAN data set. The data include spending on winter outdoor gear, accessories, all trip-related expenses and vehicles. Winter outdoor is defined as spending on alpine skiing, snowboarding, Nordic skiing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and telemark skiing.
