Vista Outdoor Celebrates Latest Outdoor Participation Figures

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06/19/2023 - 01:00 PM

The outdoor recreation participant base grew 2.3 percent in 2022 to a record 168.1 million participants, or 55 percent of the U.S. population ages 6 and older

ANOKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Vista Outdoor Inc. (NYSE: VSTO), the parent company of 41 renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products to consumers around the globe, celebrates the findings of Outdoor Industry Association’s 2023 Outdoor Participation Trends Report, which shows the outdoor recreation participant base grew 2.3 percent in 2022 to a record 168.1 million participants, or 55 percent of the U.S. population ages 6 and older.

Vista Outdoor Celebrates Latest Outdoor Participation Figures -- The outdoor recreation participant base grew 2.3 percent in 2022 to a record 168.1 million participants, or 55 percent of the U.S. population ages 6 and older. (Photo: Business Wire)

“The outdoor recreation participant base has grown each of the last eight years, adding 14.5 million participants since January 2020,” reads the report’s Executive Summary. “We saw continued growth in the number of Americans who participate in outdoor recreation, even as pre-pandemic routines are reestablished, indicating that outdoor recreation is effectively engaging participants gained over the past three years, but they participate less frequently than earlier cohorts did.”

Vista Outdoor is proud to join other designers and makers of outdoor gear in efforts that support the growing participant base and encourage Americans to participate more regularly. These efforts include increasing access to public lands, building more recreation infrastructure and fostering participation across all outdoor activities.

“Our goal — through the innovative products we make and the outdoor nonprofit groups we support through the Vista Outdoor Foundation — is to help everyone enjoy outdoor activities, whether that’s hiking, cycling, fishing, hunting, golfing, camping or all of the above,” said Gary McArthur, interim CEO, Vista Outdoor. “The pandemic brought new enthusiasts to outdoor recreation. Now we want to encourage continued participation in outdoor activities that have proven to be effective in boosting mental and physical health. We believe our company, alongside the entire outdoor industry, can create an environment that welcomes more people to outdoor recreation and helps them cultivate a life outdoors.”

Another positive trend that emerged from the report was the outdoor recreation participant base being “much more diverse than ever before,” according to OIA. “The participant base is becoming more diverse across ethnicity/race, education and age. The data reveals a stable outdoor recreation participant base with key opportunities in demographic segments showing significant growth. New and young outdoor participants are significantly more diverse than the current outdoor base and overall U.S. population and are accelerating quickly.”

Vista Outdoor and its portfolio of brands are working to keep that trend of more diverse outdoor participation moving in the right direction.

“We are committed to building diverse and inclusive communities at the corporate and brand level, and we are proud to stand alongside OIA and the entire outdoor industry in making these goals a reality for this generation and beyond,” McArthur said.

Click here to visit OIA’s website and read more about the latest outdoor participation trends.

About Vista Outdoor Inc.

Vista Outdoor (NYSE: VSTO) is the parent company of more than three dozen renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products. Brands include Bushnell, CamelBak, Bushnell Golf, Foresight Sports, Fox Racing, Bell Helmets, Camp Chef, Giro, Simms Fishing, QuietKat, Stone Glacier, Federal Ammunition, Remington Ammunition and more. Our reporting segments, Outdoor Products and Sporting Products, provide consumers with a wide range of performance-driven, high-quality and innovative outdoor and sporting products. As Vista Outdoor announced in 2022, the company is separating its Outdoor Products and Sporting Products segments into two independent, publicly traded companies. For news and information, visit our website at www.vistaoutdoor.com.