How Outdoor Recreation Attracts Workers in Wisconsin

What if the trail, lake or park down the road could help a community do more than attract visitors?

For years, communities have recognized outdoor recreation as a way to bring people through the door, but the value of those experiences may extend well beyond a weekend visit. Research suggests that when people have a positive experience in a place, that impression can influence how they see the community as a whole, including whether they see it as somewhere they could call home.

It's an idea known as the “halo effect,” and it offers a way to think about the role outdoor recreation can play in economic and workforce development.

From a vacation destination to a place to live

Research from Longwoods International found that tourism advertising and visitation can significantly improve perceptions of a destination beyond its appeal as a place to visit. People who were exposed to tourism advertising and then visited a destination were more likely to view it as a good place to live and start a career.

In other words, a great experience as a visitor can change how someone sees a place.

For communities investing in outdoor recreation, that creates an opportunity.

Someone might first discover a community because of its trails or access to the water. After spending a weekend there, they may start seeing something more: a place where they could build a life.

The experience outside can shape the perception of everything else.

Outdoor recreation is already a major industry

Wisconsin doesn't have to look far to see the scale of outdoor recreation's economic contribution.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, outdoor recreation contributed $12 billion to Wisconsin's GDP in 2024 and supported more than 100,000 jobs.

Those numbers capture the businesses, jobs and spending directly tied to outdoor recreation — but the industry's influence can extend further.

A community's outdoor amenities can become part of its identity. They can help distinguish it from competing communities and give residents another reason to choose it over somewhere else.

That matters at a time when communities and employers are competing for the people they need to grow.

A workforce advantage hiding in plain sight

A good job is important. So is what happens when the workday ends.

For communities trying to attract talent, outdoor recreation can become part of the story they tell about what life there looks like. In Wausau, that idea is part of the region's economic development strategy.

Visit Wausau and the Greater Wausau Prosperity Partnership have positioned the region as Wisconsin's Basecamp, with attracting skilled workers and talented individuals identified as a goal. Outdoor recreation is central to that identity, with tourism and outdoor recreation among the target industries highlighted in the region's economic development efforts. The strategy recognizes something many Wisconsin communities already know — the things that make a place attractive to visit can also help make it attractive to live and work.

It matters to employers, too. Tamarack Health offers an example of how partnerships can turn outdoor recreation into a workforce asset. Its Ashland and Hayward medical centers are connected to local trail systems maintained with support from organizations including the Ashland Ski Trail Association, Hayward Area Ski Trails Association and Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association.

The trails give hospital employees convenient access to recreation while also serving the broader community. That shared investment creates a stronger connection between the health system and the places where its employees live.

For a healthcare professional considering a career in the region, the trails offer a glimpse of more than the workplace, they show what life outside the workplace can look like, too.

For employers and communities looking to put this idea into practice, the Office of Outdoor Recreation's Live + Work Where You Play: Outside in Wisconsin toolkit helps turn Wisconsin's outdoor recreation advantage into a recruitment tool.

From amenities to economic assets

The halo effect can also extend to business development.

A community known for its outdoor recreation can foster a sense of place that benefits businesses beyond the recreation industry. Visitors and residents who spend time outdoors also spend money at nearby businesses.

Outdoor recreation businesses can grow around that demand, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs and employers.

The result is economic activity that reaches well beyond the trailhead.

And when those outdoor assets become part of how a community markets itself, they can help shape its reputation with people who may never have considered the community before.

Investing in the community

The takeaway isn't that every community needs to build the next great mountain bike destination or develop a massive waterfront project.

Sometimes the opportunity is already there.

A river, trail, lake or park can be an important community asset. The opportunity is to make it accessible, connect it to the community and create experiences that encourage people to spend time there.

The more people experience a place and enjoy it, the more those positive impressions can influence how they see it beyond their visit.

Outdoor recreation has always been a reason to visit Wisconsin. Increasingly, it can also be a reason people choose to stay.

For communities looking to attract and retain people, the trail, lake or river down the road isn't just an amenity — it's an economic development asset.