Active Outdoor Industry Keeps Up Pandemic Boom

People are still spending a noteworthy amount of time outdoors as the pandemic carries on.

At a recent Outdoor Retailer trade show, NPD shared some specific numbers behind the unprecedented spike in outdoor activity. In the year ending May 2021, sales of kayaks jumped almost 30%, backpacking tent sales were up nearly 50%, and sleeping bags increased 28%.

The sales correspond to participation numbers from the Outdoor Foundation: 8.1 million more Americans went hiking in 2020 compared to 2019, and 7.9 million more went camping.

Participation in recreational sports like tennis and golf is also growing.

• The United States Tennis Association said the sport had nearly 3 million first-time players last year.
• The National Golf Foundation found that the number of active, on-course U.S. golfers increased by 500,000 last year. 
• Callaway Golf saw net revenue jump from $617 million to $914 million year-over-year.

Skiing has been a hit, too. Richard Hodges, the Nordic director at White Pine Touring in Park City, Utah, says he’s “stunned about the seemingly limitless interest right now in cross-country skiing.”

Overall, revenue from the sports and outdoor segment is estimated to reach $43.6 billion by 2025.