You know that our neighbor Bill Draves, in addition to being an outstanding canoeist, is an educator, futurist, researcher, and writer. Here he shares some recent research with statistics about the negative economic impact ATVs may bring.
Bill says we may share this information to our friends and contacts, too. Please feel free to use Bill's good information as you wish. Thanks, Bill!!
ATVs pose economic risks
Our elected representatives should take a look at the economic and demographic data before suggesting that ATV riders are good for the local economy. Two studies suggest that the impact is minimal at best, and could actually have a negative economic effect.
The economic impact of ATV users is “quite modest,” concludes a report by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism Research in conjunction with the Wisconsin ATV Association.
Only 14% of ATV riders in Wisconsin come from outside of the state, some 38% didn’t even stay overnight, and the economic multiplier effect of just 1.69 yields only 1,000 total jobs.
By comparison, overall tourists are a whopping 35% out-of-state, even 6% are foreign. They create 185,000 jobs, according to another state tourism report.
But the demographics of ATV users compared to other tourists suggest that ATV users could actually have a negative economic effect.
Only 20% of ATV users make over $81,000 a year, they are older than average, three-quarters are male, and only a few bring children along.
The demographic profile of those who are the northwoods’ economic future looks quite different.
Out-of-State Tourists. Out-of-state tourists earn more than average, and the economic multiplier effect of out-of-state money means they contribute 2 to 3 times more to the local economy than the typical ATV user.
Part-Time Residents. Every day we keep business and professional people emailing from here instead of back home, the local economy benefits. Part-time residents don’t just use gas, beer and pop, they also employ construction workers, buy appliances and household goods, and patronize the medical facilities in Minocqua.
Business and professional people, in this century called “knowledge workers,” economically function like the factory worker of the last century - - each one creates 4 local jobs. In our information economy, welders, restaurant workers and everyone else depends on the number of business and professional people in the area.
If you are a local and a high school graduate, your average income is now dependent on the percentage of college-educated people working in your community. The more college-educated workers who live or spend time up here, the better off our workers with a high school degree are.
Gen Y. The largest generation in history, people age 14 to 34 are the future of everything, including our area’s economy. Overwhelmingly Gen Y favors protecting the environment. They drive less, and have little interest in additional fossil fuel vehicles.
The vast majority of Gen Y likes clean water and forests. They dislike gas fumes and noise.
Tourists, part time residents and Gen Y all have the option of going to Michigan or Minnesota instead of Wisconsin. ATV users pose economic risks.