Is the North American outdoor hospitality market ready for a touch of European luxury? Modern Campground invites park owners and operators to explore the evolving landscape of upscale camping with the next live MC Fireside Chats episode, airing Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at 2 PM ET, presented by Modern Campground.
This week’s compelling discussion, centered on Industry Trends & Insights, will feature a robust panel of returning experts including Eleonore Hamm, President of the RVDA of Canada; Scott Bahr, President of Cairn Consulting Group; Simon Neal, Founder & CEO of CampMap; Phil Ingrassia, Executive Director of RVDA; Rafael Correa, President & CFO of Blue Water Development Corp; and Miguel Huerta, President of the Mexican Glamping Association.
Joining this esteemed panel is special guest Ward Wijngaert, Business Developer for Yelloh! Village, one of Europe’s leading “open-air hotel” chains. Wijngaert will pull back the curtain on the “Premiumization” trend sweeping the European outdoor market, revealing how Yelloh! Village’s model of luxury amenities and consistent branding sets a global benchmark for high-end camping experiences.
North American operators looking to elevate their guest experience and understand the shift towards managed campground chains won’t want to miss Wijngaert’s insights, offering a roadmap for incorporating sophisticated strategies into their own properties.
Tune in live on Modern Campground and join the conversation as these industry leaders dissect the nuances of a rapidly changing market.
Previous Episode Recap
The March 25, 2026 episode of MC Fireside Chats, hosted by Brian Searl of Insider Perks and Modern Campground, delved into how AI and evolving technology are reshaping discovery, marketing, and commerce for campground owners and tourism operators. The conversation featured Peter Pilarski, founder of the Tourism AI Network and CIPR Communications, alongside Mike Lee, the solo developer and owner of the Campsite Tonight app.
Peter Pilarski introduced “digital authority,” a concept merging traditional PR and digital marketing to make tourism businesses definitive answers for both human searches and AI-driven queries. He emphasized websites need to go beyond marketing fluff, instead focusing on answering real traveler questions with structured content using tools like schema markup and FAQ sections, ensuring AI systems can easily parse information. Mike Lee shared insights from building Campsite Tonight, an app aggregating campsite availability and monitoring cancellations, noting that while campers have highly specific preferences making fully AI-agentic booking difficult, restructuring about 40 to 50 of his website pages with machine-readable data tripled his Google search impressions.
Brian Searl highlighted that much detailed campsite information is currently buried in JavaScript-heavy booking engines, making it invisible to AI tools, and explored the tension between bot detection and personal AI agents. For small business owners feeling overwhelmed, Peter recommended starting with an updated Google Business Profile and enriching website content with specific, verifiable details, while Mike advised identifying and focusing on one single biggest problem. All speakers agreed that businesses thriving do good work, communicate transparently, and make information easy for humans and machines to find and trust.
About MC Fireside Chats
MC Fireside Chats is a live podcast experience dedicated to the outdoor hospitality and outdoor recreation industries. Hosted by Brian Searl, founder and CEO of Insider Perks and Modern Campground, the show offers engaging discussions with industry leaders, innovators, and experts shaping the future of camping, RVing, glamping, and outdoor recreation.
Airing every Wednesday at 2 p.m. (ET), the show follows a structured weekly theme to deliver deep dives into the most relevant topics:
- Week 1: Industry Trends & Insights
- Week 2: Enhancing Guest Experience
- Week 3: Business Operations & Management
- Week 4: Marketing, AI and Technology
Each episode features a panel of recurring guests, complemented by 1–2 rotating special guests, including industry analysts, campground owners, technology providers, sustainability advocates, and more. Whether exploring the latest market trends or innovative guest experience strategies, MC Fireside Chats delivers thought-provoking insights for professionals and enthusiasts across the outdoor recreation spectrum.
To explore previous episodes of MC Fireside Chats, visit: moderncampground.com/mc-fireside-chats.