A significant trend in camping shows that only 42.7% of campers used all the reservations they made in 2023, according to a new report by The Dyrt, a camping application.
The Dyrt’s 2024 Camping Report reveals an increase in booking difficulties—four times harder in 2023 than in 2019. This change is attributed to a rise in the popularity of camping and fewer available spots.
Campers facing the challenge of securing campsites often resort to overbooking to ensure they have a place to stay, which leads to later cancellations. According to a press release, Ryan B., a camper from Montana, explains his strategy: “I canceled a reservation last season because I was on a multiday trip and used the reservation as a placeholder to make sure we had a site in the relative area where we were looking. I ended up finding a prime site and canceled our reservation.”
The data suggests that most campers are considerate in their cancellation timing. 87.3% canceled with more than 48 hours’ notice, while 32.2% canceled with less than 48 hours’ notice. Despite these cancellations, the problem of vacant spots at campsites previously marked as full remains persistent.
To address the issue of last-minute vacancies, Kevin Long, CEO of The Dyrt, introduced a solution: “It breaks my heart to see vacant campsites at ‘sold-out’ campgrounds because I know there’s a camper who wanted to stay there and is missing out on an awesome experience,” he said. The Dyrt Alerts, a feature developed by the app, notifies campers immediately when a reservation becomes available at a fully booked or sold-out campground.
However, not all reservations lead to actual stays. In 2023, 14.9% of campers did not show up for their booked reservations. Public campgrounds, which are typically more affordable, experience higher no-show rates due to the minimal financial penalty for not canceling a reservation. In response, California has enacted a law encouraging campers to cancel at least a week in advance to mitigate this issue.
Demographically, the likelihood of failing to show varies significantly. Millennials and Gen Z are 52.6% more likely than Gen Xers and Baby Boomers to not show up for a reservation. Additionally, income plays a role in this behavior; campers earning more than $250,000 a year are more than twice as likely to forgo their reservations compared to those earning less than $50,000.
This pattern of cancellations and no-shows reflects broader trends and challenges within the outdoor hospitality industry. Stakeholders, including campground managers and reservation system operators, are increasingly faced with adapting to these trends. Adjustments to reservation systems and cancellation policies may be necessary to accommodate the dynamic nature of camping demand.
The data from The Dyrt becomes invaluable for campground operators and RV park owners. It helps to understand campers’ behavioral patterns and campground owners’ operational challenges. The insights from such data can drive policy changes and innovations in how campgrounds manage reservations and occupancy.