The NGA Outdoor Recreation Learning Network and Economic Policy teams are working with state recreation and economic policy networks and the Oregon State University’s Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy (CORE) to gather and analyze data in order to study the effectiveness of Economic Development Administration Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation (TTOR) grants.
Specifically, NGA and CORE will identify and share best practices from projects that can be replicated and that aim to:
- Expand the outdoor recreation economy;
- Create equitable opportunities for underserved populations;
- Build diversified local recreation economies that are resilient to future economic shocks and climate change; and
- Foster higher-skilled, higher wage job opportunities.
Projects Survey
NGA and CORE will be sending TTOR grant recipients a survey to collect baseline data on the outputs and outcomes of their project to-date on January 8, 2024. This survey is mandatory and complements existing reporting requirements under EDA awards. However, we do not expect grantees to be collecting all the data requested; but to complete the survey to the best of their ability. The survey is due on February 29, 2024. NGA and CORE will be hosting several calls to provide guidance and answer any questions grantees have about the survey.
Project Webinars
NGA is hosting a series of four webinars to highlight innovative and replicable projects funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Travel Tourism and Outdoor Recreation. Two of these webinars have taken place and are linked below, the third is available for registration and linked below, and the final is forthcoming and will be made available here.
- March 22, 2023 – Increasing Economic Resiliency Of The Travel, Tourism And Outdoor Recreation Sectors
- June 22, 2023 – Innovative Workforce Development Programs For The Travel, Tourism And Outdoor Recreation Sectors
- September 27, 2023 – Advancing Equity in the Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Sectors
If you would like more information on this project, or have innovative projects in your state that you’d like to share, please contact Evan Blankenberger (EBlankenberger@nga.org) or Sally Rood (SRood@nga.org).
In the News
Economic Development Administration Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation grants in the news
State & Territory Investments
- Delaware State Parks
- Rhode Island State Tourism
- New Jersey State Tourism
- Maryland State Tourism
- Maine State Tourism
- Delaware State Tourism
- Arkansas Trail and Museum Projects
- State Of New Mexico To Accelerate Travel And Tourism Recovery
- American Samoa Travel and Tourism
- Alaska Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation
- Tourism Initiatives in Alaska, California, New Mexico, Ohio, New Hampshire, Alabama and Louisiana
- Utah Office of Tourism
- Nebraska Tourism Grants
- Kansas Tourism Grants
- Iowa Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Grants
- Florida Tourism and Travel Advertising and Marketing Campaigns
Local Investments
- EDA Grant – Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail
- New Castle trail improvements
- Pawtucket Bikeway
- Westchester County Tourism & Film
- The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk
- Recovery of the Tourism Sector in Tishomingo, Oklahoma
- Trail Expansion To Boost Tourism In Santa Fe
- Historical Museum in South Padre Island
- Supporting local tourism in Fredericksburg, Texas
- La Grande’s Liberty Theatre
- Portland Bureau of Transportation Street Plazas
- City of Eugene Parks and Open Space – Suzanne Arlie Park development
- Bisbee Bikeways
- Tourism and outdoor recreation in Valdez
- Bohemia Park Entry Plaza Project
- Willcox Theater and Arts
- Boulder City – Dark Skies Project
- Port Angeles Waterfront Center and Peninsula College
- Long Beach, Washington, Boardwalk Renovation
- Restoration of Guadalupe’s Royal Theater
- Native cultural tourism projects in New York and Alaska
- Galena & Ulysses S. Grant Museum
- Swift County Appleton Area Off-Highway Vehicle Park
- Kokomo Speedway Flooding Infrastructure
- Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Tourism Planning
- Old World Wisconsin History Museum Guest Services Museum
- Rensselaer, Indiana, Streetscape Improvements
- Kettle Moraine State Forest Trailhead Facility
- Ely, Minnesota, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation
- Trumbull County, Ohio Tourism Development
- Saline County Visitors Center Project
- Lake Mitchell jetty project
- Fort Pierre Tatanka Trail
- Churchill Museum at Westminster College
- Caras Park River Access Project
- 15th St. Railroad Experience Project
- Cedar River Recreation Project
- Grand County Tourism Revitalization Project
- Frost Fire Park Snowmaking Infrastructure
- Cache Valley Nature Center
- Visitor Center in Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Hogansville Royal Theater restoration project
- Renovation of the historic Oil City National Bank
- Extension of the Conway Recreation Path
- Supporting ski lift and snow making capacity at Big Rock
- Cacapon State Park Bike Trail System
- Mylan Park Foundation receives grant for BMX facility
The Outdoor Recreation Economy
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data shows that inflation-adjusted (“real”) GDP for the outdoor recreation economy increased 18.9 percent in 2021 with outdoor recreation providing over 4.5 million jobs. Real gross output – a broader measure of all economic activity generated – for the outdoor recreation economy was even more significant, totaling $862 billion in 2021.
Click on the map below to see the value added by outdoor recreation by state.
Disclaimer: The work presented on this page is being conducted by the National Governors Association using Federal funds under award ED22HDQ3070131 from the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.
