Outdoor Recreation Impact on BC Economy
From the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC:
B.C.’s outdoor recreation economy supports a lot of people.
In 2024, it was connected to about 86,000 direct jobs across the province, from outdoor retail and manufacturing to tourism, guiding, and recreation services.
For Peter Hlynsky, CEO of MEC, the new data puts some real weight behind something MEC sees every day through its staff and members:
British Columbians care deeply about getting outside.
As Peter says:
“This data demonstrates a powerful economic incentive to continue supporting outdoor recreation and reinforces why continued investment in access and protecting these places matters.”
That’s an important part of the story. A strong outdoor recreation sector depends on having places people can get to, use and enjoy.
This post is part of our series on B.C.’s new provincial Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account, developed by BC Stats to help measure and track the outdoor recreation economy.
Learn more: https://www.orcbc.ca/blog/outdoor-recreation-satellite-account
Posted Sep 21, 2026, 6:24 PM UTC