Outdoor Recreation Roundtable to Unveil Economic Data
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable will hold a virtual briefing on new Bureau of Economic Analysis data about the sector's national footprint.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Economic Indicators
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The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable will host a virtual briefing on November 18, 2026, at 11 a.m. ET to unveil new economic data on the outdoor recreation sector. The briefing follows the organization's statement after the 2026 midterm elections.
Why it matters
The data will quantify the outdoor recreation industry's economic weight across the United States, giving policymakers and industry leaders a current measure of its contribution. Nationwide figures on output, jobs and GDP share help frame the sector alongside other major economic industries.
The outdoor recreation sector generates $1.3 trillion in annual economic output and supports 5.2 million jobs, equal to 2.4% of the nation's GDP, according to 2025 Bureau of Economic Analysis data. Details of the state-level breakdown to be presented at the briefing remain unreleased.
The players
Outdoor Recreation Roundtable
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable is a coalition of outdoor recreation industry organizations that advocates for the sector's economic and policy interests.
Bureau of Economic Analysis
The Bureau of Economic Analysis is the U.S. Department of Commerce agency that produces national economic accounts, including GDP and industry-level output estimates.
The details
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable will hold the virtual briefing with industry leaders, Bureau of Economic Analysis economists and policymakers participating. The discussion will center on new BEA data and analysis of the industry's footprint at the national and state levels.
Timeline
Midterm elections in 2026, followed by an ORR statement on the results.
November 18, 2026, at 11 a.m. ET: ORR virtual briefing on BEA outdoor recreation data.
Economic Indicators
The briefing's data follows the BEA's outdoor recreation satellite account, which tracks the sector's contribution to national GDP as a distinct industry group. The new figures will extend that series to show how the sector's measured footprint has changed.
The briefing gives the public a measured view of how much the outdoor recreation sector contributes to the national economy and jobs. Readers interested in the sector's economic weight can use the released figures to compare it with other industries.
The takeaway
Outdoor recreation accounts for $1.3 trillion in output and 5.2 million jobs nationally, a scale that the November 18 briefing aims to document with updated federal data. Readers tracking the economy can watch the briefing for measurable updates to the sector's contribution.
What happens next
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable virtual briefing takes place on November 18, 2026, at 11 a.m. ET, where new BEA outdoor recreation data will be presented.
Further reading
For broader national measures, see Economic Indicators coverage of GDP and employment data.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Woodall's Campground Magazine - Daily News & Information for the Outdoor Hospitality Industry.
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