The campground industry continues to thrive despite higher prices of goods and the recession scare, with Kampgrounds of America (KOA) forecasting another record year for camping.
According to the campground industry giant’s newly released KOA Monthly Research Report – December Edition, the anticipated record year comes on the heels of 58 million households reporting to have camped at least once this year.
“With several years of record growth, even more campers are eager to make their way out,” Whitney Scott, chief marketing officer of KOA, noted in the press release.
The KOA’s CMO believes that the increase is being driven by the realization that experiences in the outdoors are an ideal way to slow down from the everyday hustle and bustle, and instead reconnect with nature.
“Camping is more than a way to travel; it allows us to unwind and reconnect,” Scott further said.
The trend towards outdoor recreation and camping is reportedly particularly strong among younger generations.
Among the 52% of respondents who shared that spending time outdoors will be more important in the coming year, 58% were millennials, a nod to KOA’s annual report stating that young campers are on the rise.
The 2022 Annual North American Camping Report of KOA revealed that campers are getting younger, with 53% being millennials (40%) and Gen Z (13%) in 2021.
The RV industry has also noticed an increase in the number of younger RVers.
“We’ve seen over the past few years that the age of [RVers] has gotten younger and more diverse,” RVIA Spokesperson Monika Geraci told Modern Campground in a recent interview.
In a conversation with Modern Campground in May, Scott said that most younger campers are putting weight on the importance of getting outdoors and how the outdoors is preserved.
Such can also be said for the other age brackets who choose to camp outdoors to escape the stresses of everyday life—86% currently, versus pre-pandemic digits (75%). According to the same December report, 85% (versus 76% pre-COVID) camp to relax and not feel like they need to be somewhere, 73% (57% pre-COVID) said they enjoy the outdoors to let loose and blow off steam, while 64% (58% pre-COVID) do so to be physically active.
The same report also indicated that the outlook for 2023 camping “looks healthy” with 87% of campers considering the kind of outdoor recreation in their New Year’s resolutions. Most even shared that they plan to camp more in 2023 (41%), while some will take more extended trips (29%), get outside more (28%), upgrade camping gear (22%), try a new form of camping (18%), and more.
“We know there is more urgency around getting outdoors and reaping nature’s benefits. Our campgrounds provide an accessible way to fill that need as we support our mission of connecting people to the outdoors and each other,” Scott said in the release.
Overall, KOA’s report shows that the 2023 season is looking bright for the members of the campground industry. As of December, 14% of the research’s respondents said they already booked some of their camping trips for next year.
As the new year approaches, how should campgrounds prepare?
Hear from those who know best. Tomorrow, December 21, outdoor hospitality industry experts will return for another episode of MC Fireside Chats to share how they are gearing up for 2023 as they look back on the lessons they’ve learned this year.
This special episode is set to feature executives in the campground and glamping industries including Connor Schwab of Sage Outdoor Advisory, Scott Knepp of IVEE Group, and Jeff Hoffman of JH Consulting Solutions founder and Sandusky/Bayshore Holiday KOA.