Trails and outdoor recreation are big business in Vermont. Did you know that 72% of Vermont residents participate in outdoor recreation each year? Not only that: an estimated 1 in 7 jobs in Vermont depends on outdoor recreation and Vermont residents are more likely to participate in day hiking than the average American. This is great news for our Vermont communities, who not only have access to the outdoors and an active lifestyle, but also to economic opportunities uniquely suited for recreation.
Recently the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council (VTGC) sponsored an analysis of the economic and fiscal impact of Vermont trail networks. Their study had eye-opening figures that illuminate the benefits of a robust trail system that can be used year-round by multiple user groups. If you are interested in reading the full report, there is a copy of the report here. The current study only looks at the impact of the Catamount Trail Association (winter use), the Kingdom Trails Association (mountain biking), VAST (motorized vehicles), and the Green Mountain Club (hiking and walking). The actual impact of recreation on the Vermont State economy is much greater and includes many more trails and recreation types. Just a few of the figures worth noting includes visitors who come to Vermont for our trails travel from all over the US and globe, including Sweden, Germany, Brazil, Australia, China and Canada. There were 410,000 annual users utilizing these trail systems, spending an average of about three days in Vermont to use multi-use and mountain bike specific trails. While visiting, their annual new spending was over $15 million, including overnight accomodations, food/drink, gifts/souvenirs, equipment purchases, etc. These trail visits also translates into Vermont receiving over $2 million in tax revenue annually. And across Vermont, 86% of out of state visitors indicated that they were in Vermont because of access to the trails!
We have a lot to be proud of when it comes to our trails and extensive recreational opportunities for both our residents and out of state visitors!
