BOLTON, VT – Today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), member of the Senate Commerce Committee, in conjunction with the U.S. Travel “Travel Works” program, an event at Richmond Mountain Trails’ (RMT) The Driving Range, the first fully adaptive-mountain bike accessible trail system in Vermont, located in Bolton. The event included a hike around RMT’s new trail system, and a discussion with U.S. Travel, Vermont Tourism, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, and State, local and industry leaders on tourism and outdoor recreation in Vermont.
Participants talked about the challenges and issues facing the travel and outdoor recreation industry, including accessibility issues, cross-border travel and business, infrastructure repairs, immigration policy reforms, rural development, and the need for outdoor recreation marketing and development funding.
“Vermont’s travel and outdoor recreation industry is an economic driver in our state, drawing folks from across the country and around the world to enjoy nature and community at its best. We’ve seen how back-to-back floods have impacted so much of our state, including this crucial sector, but it is clear today Vermont is open and ready for the fall tourism season,” said Senator Welch. “I’ll continue to support innovative initiatives to bolster our outdoor recreation industry to ensure everyone—of all abilities—can access, enjoy, and explore all the Green Mountain State has to offer.”
“Senator Welch is a long-time champion of the travel industry, and we are grateful for the opportunity to join him in Vermont to discuss travel’s indispensable value to communities and the workforce across the state,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, U.S. Travel Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Policy. “We look forward to our continued work with Senator Welch and local leaders to support the growth of travel in Vermont and throughout the nation.”
As a member of the House, Senator Welch introduced and helped pass the bipartisan, bicameral Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act to ensure that the jobs and economic benefits of outdoor recreation would be measured as part of the overall GDP. Since that bill became law, the Bureau of Economic Analysis has been measuring how vital outdoor recreation is to Vermont.
Generating close $3 billion in travel spending in 2023 and nearly $400 million in retail sales in 2022, Vermont’s highly diversified outdoor recreation sector boosted local economies across the state. Vermont’s outdoor recreation sector contributed 4.6% to the state’s economy last year, the second highest rate in the country in terms of its contribution to the state’s GDP. Outdoor economic activity in Vermont grew the workforce to 15,000 workers in 2022 by 12.4%—the highest percentage growth in the country.
In 2023, the United States reported $1.3 trillion in travel spending, representing 2.5% of the national GDP. Across the country, travel supported more than 15 million American workers— directly employing 8 million workers—and produced $2.8 trillion in economic output, including $855 billion spent on domestic leisure.
View photos from the event below:
Sen. Welch was joined by Erik Hansen, Senior Vice President of Government Relations, U.S. Travel Association; Becca Washburn,Director of Lands Administration and Recreation, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources; Amy Spear, President, Vermont Chamber; Kelly Ault, Executive Director, Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance (VOBA); Heather Pelham, Commissioner, Vermont Tourism and Marketing; Lindsey DesLauriers, President and CEO, Bolton Valley; Kelly Brush, Founder, Kelly Brush Foundation; Greg Durso, Senior Director of Programs, Kelly Brush Foundation; Kim Jackson, Director of Communications, Vermont Adaptive; Nick Bennett, Executive Director, Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VMBA); Bec Wojtecki, Director, Richmond Mountain Trails; Will Kriewald, CEO of Basin Harbor; John George-Wheeler, Co-Owner, Ski Rack; and Berne Broudy, Authentic Outdoors.
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