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Outdoor Recreation Participation Study Top Ten Trends

Courtesy, Outdoor Industry Foundation

In a new study sponsored by the Outdoor Industry Foundation (available at www.outdoorindustry.org) called, “Trends in Active Outdoor Recreation Participation in United States: Findings from the 7th Edition Participation Study For the years 1998 – 2004), ten trends were revealed, all of which are relevant to the adventure travel industry. The context for the top line summary of key trends outlined below is available at the Outdoor Industry Foundation Releases 7th Edition Participation Study article.

Of the ten trends conveyed in the Outdoor Industry Foundation study, one may be of special interest to the adventure travel industry:

1 in 4 Americans took a vacation to participate in active outdoor activities in 2004

• 25%, or 55.5 million Americans 16+ took a vacation where the primary purpose was outdoor adventure
   
• This is has been increasing since 2001— indicating that outdoor adventure travel has rebounded from the events of Sept. ‘01
   
• The leading activities participated in on these outdoor adventure vacations were:
  • Hiking, includes backpacking (17.1%)
  • Swimming (16.9%)
  • Fishing (15.0%)
  • Camping (13.8%)
     
• The individuals participating in active outdoor vacations were basically the same demographic as those participating in outdoor recreation in general:
  • Male (58%)
  • Mean age 37
  • 21% non-white
     
• The fact that Americans participated in outdoor activities on vacation at the highest levels in 4 years (25%) in 2004, combined with growth in the percent who participate at Enthusiast frequencies (19.4%), suggests that there is an opportunity to market vacations designed for Enthusiasts as well as first-timers and occasional participants.

View the Demographic Chart

The other nine significant trends identified are outlined below:

1. The increase in Americans participating in outdoor activities has not resulted in individuals getting out more, on average
    
2. Emerging activities have driven total outdoor participation growth (vs. traditional mainstream activities)
    
3. Activities which can be “done-in-a-day” are growing vs. activities which require multiple days to participate
    
4. A higher percentage of Americans participated in outdoor activities at “enthusiast” levels in 2004 than 1998
    
5. Americans 16+ participating at top 15% frequency (Enthusiasts)
    
6. More young adults (Gen Y) participating in outdoor activities in 2004
    
7. More women participated in outdoor activities in 2004 than in 1998, but participation has decreased since peak in 2002
    
8. Participation by Ethnic Americans in outdoor activities at an all-time high in 2004
    
9. Growth of fly fishing and paved road cycling in the past 3 years has offset participation declines in most outdoor activities

Access the complete study is limited to Outdoor Industry Association Members. For context and interpretations of the trend information, visit the following URL for a free PDF of the entire Outdoor Recreation Participation in the United States, 7th Edition: http://www.outdoorindustry.org/research.current.html.