Experimental Travel, New Adventures Fuel Interest in Camping
The outdoor travel sector has grown considerably over the past several years, becoming a formidable part of the overall leisure travel landscape as people seek solace in nature and affordable vacation options in the great outdoors. Today, new data from Kampgrounds of America, Inc's (KOA) 2023 North American Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report provides an in-depth look at key trends shaping the outdoor hospitality industry, including how the camping and glamping market is evolving as travelers re-establish pre-pandemic travel habits, how travelers are adapting their upcoming plans amid economic uncertainty, and how specific demographic populations describe their relationship with outdoor-focused leisure travel as the 2023 peak camping season begins.
In its ninth year continuously measuring growth and interest in camping and outdoor travel, KOA's industry-leading camping report broadens its scope to look more holistically at outdoor hospitality and its importance in the larger camping industry. Outdoor hospitality extends across four sectors, accommodation, food and beverage, travel and tourism, and entertainment and recreation – 61% of campers strongly agree that offering services and amenities beyond the campsite or accommodation is pivotal in providing outdoor hospitality. In total, 78% of campers say that outdoor hospitality is important in their travel experiences. In 2022, camping and glamping accounted for 32% of all leisure trips, making camping and outdoor hospitality a crucial travel segment.
"As leisure travelers increasingly choose the outdoors over other alternatives, we need to look more granularly at camping," said Toby O'Rourke, CEO and president of Kampgrounds of America, Inc. "A decade of independent research confirms that camping is a preferred way for many to travel, try new things, and connect with what they care about most. The segment of outdoor hospitality, growing in importance, offers additional ways for people to connect to the outdoors."
KOA's 2023 survey found that a hunger for new experiences, whether it's a specific type of camping, or a camping trip that includes a new or unique experience, is driving camping participation in 2023. Year-to-year, about 80% of campers try a new form of camping they are unfamiliar with; in 2023, the average camper will seek out three new or unique camping experiences. Trips for natural events such as eclipses, meteor showers and animal migrations are the most common type of trips campers are looking for in 2023, with 40% of campers seeking out this type of experience in 2023. Other types of trips that campers are interested in include food tourism (36%) and visits to small towns (31%). Glamping also continues to gain momentum. Over 10 million households took a glamping trip in 2022, and four-in-10 campers express interest in taking a glamping trip in 2023, up by 7% from the prior year.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic generated record-breaking growth in outdoor travel, 2022 witnessed an increase of about 1.5 million additional camping households—a stabilization compared to the previous year. Amid a reshuffling of behavior, new audiences discovering a love for camping are younger, more diverse and more likely to reside in urban areas. Today, 92 million U.S. households identify as campers. Even amid economic headwinds, half of campers say that camping offers a more cost-friendly way to travel during a downturn, and 38% say they'll continue to camp, even if the economy worsens. More than half (56%) of RVers will use their RV more (33%) or the same amount (23%) in the case of an economic downturn. Furthermore, campers find that outdoor travel offers physical and mental health benefits, as well as the opportunity to connect with family and friends.
