Pandemic’s Impact on Indoor and Outdoor Recreation Revenue

Estimated Revenue of Some Outdoor Recreation Industries Grew During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Some Indoor Recreation Industries Still Recovering

January 17, 2024

Written by:

Maria B. Villarreal

The U.S. Census Bureau’s Service Annual Survey (SAS) provides a detailed look at estimated revenue of employer firms for select indoor and outdoor recreation industries affected by COVID-19 and a glimpse into their recovery.

Many fitness, recreation and other social activities moved outdoors when the pandemic began in 2020.

An estimated 7.1 million more Americans enjoyed an outdoor activity in 2020 – the first year of the pandemic – than in 2019, according to the Outdoor Industry Association’s 2021 Outdoor Participation Trends Report.

Estimated revenues of select industries related to indoor recreation rebounded from 2020 to 2021 but have yet to return to their 2019 levels.

In 2021, 164.2 million Americans participated in an outdoor activity, a 6.9% increase since 2019.

While outdoor recreation participation increased, revenue of select industries related to outdoor recreation also grew from 2019 to 2021, according to SAS data.

Estimated revenues of select industries related to indoor recreation rebounded from 2020 to 2021 but have yet to return to their 2019 levels.

Impact of Pandemic on Recreation

Even some industries that were predominantly enjoyed outdoors experienced decreases in revenue for employer firms in 2020.

Golf Courses and Country Clubs in 2020 saw a 2.8% decrease in estimated revenue for employer firms, from $24.1 billion in 2019 to $23.5 billion in 2020.

Table 1. Estimated Revenue of Employer Firms for Select Outdoor Recreation Industries: 2019-2021

Not surprisingly, some industries with employer firms that required indoor participation experienced significant revenue drops in 2020.

For example, Bowling Centers’ revenue dropped 46.2% (from $4.1 billion in 2019 to $2.2 billion in 2020), and Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets’ revenue declined 49.3% (from $7.3 billion in 2019 to $3.7 billion in 2020).

Although Amusement and Theme Parks are outdoor venues, their estimated revenue dropped 63.0%, from $20.1 billion in 2019 to $7.4 billion in 2020 due to pandemic-related closures.

Table 2. Estimated Revenue of Employer Firms for Select Indoor Recreation Industries: 2019-2021

Road to Recovery: Revenue Changes in 2021

While select recreation industries experienced double-digit percent decreases in revenues in 2020, they experienced double-digit percent increases in 2021.

Most notably, Amusement and Theme Parks’ revenue spiked 139.2%, from $7.4 billion in 2020 to $17.8 billion in 2021.

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) and Bowling Centers also experienced an increase in revenue of 64.0% and 52.7%, respectively.

Still, 2021 revenue for some industries did not fully rebound to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.

Revenue earned by Amusement and Theme Parks in 2021 ($17.8 billion) was down 11.6% from $20.1 billion in 2019. Cafeterias, Grill Buffets and Buffets revenue in 2021 was $5.2 billion, up from $3.7 billion in 2020 but down 28.0% from $7.3 billion in 2019.

Some outdoor-based industries, however, exceeded 2019 revenue numbers. Mobile Food Services’ 2021 revenue ($2.8 billion) was 67.2% higher than in 2019 ($1.7 billion). Similarly, revenue earned by Golf Courses and Country Clubs in 2021 ($28.3 billion) was 17.4% higher than in 2019 ($24.1 billion).

The increase in outdoor activity is also reflected in the nation’s Gross Domestic Product. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, inflation-adjusted GDP for the outdoor recreation economy increased 18.9% in 2021, compared to a 5.9% for the overall U.S. economy.

More SAS Data

The latest SAS in 2021 includes estimates and accompanying measures of sampling variability and sheds light on additional industries like those outlined in this article.

Maria Villarreal is a survey statistician in the Census Bureau’s Accommodations, Entertainment and Consumer Services Branch of the Economy-Wide Statistics Division.