One of the sectors that has been positively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic is the “outdoor” market linked to adventure or open-air tourism. It happens that, after the confinement of the quarantine, many people have decided to devote themselves to this type of activity in natural environments, such as fishing, camping, trekking or hiking, among others, but much better equipped. The trend has therefore reinvigorated this business niche which today moves about 300 billion dollars a year, according to the estimates of the Chamber of the Outdoor Industry (AICACYP) which brings together industrialists and traders of articles in the sector.
According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, in the first three quarters of 2022, Argentines made 49.4 million trips within the country, a figure equivalent to all those recorded in 2018 and 2019. All of this represented around 4 6 billion dollars, of which a portion corresponds to outdoor activities.
To test this market, the AICACYP, together with the consultant Julio Aurelio, carried out a survey which investigated the activities carried out by the population outdoors, such as sports, outings, etc. And also of the habits and customs of these recreational outings, of the frequency and of the favorite places.
Some of the results proved it six out of 10 Argentines carry out some activity of this type. 49% of those interviewed – out of a total of 4,000 cases – admitted that they had a greater desire to resume the activities they carried out before the pandemic and 27% to make new exits.
According to Guillermo Muttoni, director of AICACYP, fishing, for example, added 18% new followers in the last yearjust over 600,000 people who basically carried out their activity in the lagoons of Buenos Aires, on the coast and in the Andean Patagonia.
Last year, more than 760,000 fishing rods and more than 780,000 fishing reels entered the country. And sales have increased because 40% of anglers have changed their rod or reel; adding hooks, sinkers and other inputs. It is estimated that there are approx 3.6 million fishermen, which with annual departures would reach 42 million.
However, even those who run the sport fishing business (a thousand businesses across the country) face adversity, as they are fed 95% imported materials and suffer from current import restrictions. The same thing happens to the segment that sells tents; it depends on totally imported fabrics, closures and other inputs.
At the same time, fishing generates another tourist impact: a study by the University of Comahue has shown, for example, that the visitors that the city of Bariloche receives for sport or recreational fishing spend an average of eight days in the city when the tourism in general does not exceed four days.
He trekking and hiking, according to the chamber, are the activities with the most followers and to which the greatest number of adventurers has joined in the last year, 24% of the total. Something like 2 million Argentines, “but perhaps with a smaller impact in terms of tourist benefits because practitioners from every area of the country choose a nearby province,” explains Muttoni.
The figures of the camping They are even more impressive, according to the manager, since more than 10% of the population practice it and 56% say they joined this activity no more than 1-5 years ago. “Which means that its potential is impressive,” he describes.
In terms of frequency, it’s a fairly common practical activity: 44% of campers do it 2 to 5 times a year, 16% more than 5 times, and 39% only go camping once a year.
The economic impact of this activity is also reinforced by the sale of the number of necessary accessories, such as sleeping bags, torches and lanterns, stoves, compasses, heaters, water bottles and air mattresses, among many other items.
Source: Clarin
