All kinds of people enjoy camping, from nature enthusiasts to city dwellers looking for a change of pace. The amount of time they spend at a campground differs depending on their plans and lifestyles. Knowing your campground target demographics and guest profiles can help you manage expectations and provide the best services possible for all campers.
At Kampgrounds of America, Inc., we ensure all campers have a place to stay. Learn about the unique camping market segments that you’ll encounter, and why they’re important for your business.
1. Full-Time Campers
For some people, camping is an integral part of their lifestyle. Individuals, couples and families who live out of their RVs or campers instead of owning a traditional home get to experience full-time camping. These RV customer types travel as much as they want and have high standards for campgrounds.
When you have people camping full-time in their RVs, your campground’s facilities must be in tip-top shape. Make sure you properly maintain the campground’s RV hook-ups, patio sites, bathrooms, and laundry facilities.
2. Seasonal Campers
When warm weather appears and stays for a while, you may see an uptick in campers. Seasonal campers often take advantage of the warm weather between the months of May and September. This campground guest profile enjoys camping when the climate is just right, and they will likely head out when the weather changes and wait for the next year to return.
To appeal to this particular camping market segment, your campground should offer plenty of warm-weather and family-friendly activities. These campers are looking to take full advantage of the good weather.
3. Snowbirds
Similar to seasonal campers who take advantage of warm weather, snowbirds often stay at campgrounds where the weather is warmer. More specifically, snowbirds live in areas with colder climates and travel south for the winter to avoid the cold as they camp. These snowbird camping patterns are consistent across the country.
Snowbird camping gives many people the best of both worlds. They can enjoy their lifestyle at home when the weather is temperate, then camp in an area with a great climate as they wait for winter to end. Snowbirds from Canada and the northern parts of the United States have their pick of campgrounds. If you own a KOA in a southern location, this camping market segment is absolutely essential to your business.
The most popular snowbird months span from October to April. The length of time snowbirds stay at your campground will vary depending on their circumstances. Some snowbirds may camp for up to six months, while others may only visit after the holidays or take refuge from the cold for a shorter period.
4. Short-Term Campers
Whether they have limited time or prefer only to go camping occasionally, short-term campers are another group you’ll see at your campground. Short-term campers rent campsites for a few days or weeks. They will stay at the campground briefly as they get their camping fill, then return home or to a new location to explore. Short-term campers may try to go camping as often as possible, but due to their schedules, they may be unable to stay as long as others.
Campers staying for shorter periods may be on vacation for a long weekend or a couple of weeks. When they visit your campground, they can maximize their trip by taking advantage of the campsite offerings.
Attract Campers to Your Campground With KOA
When you want to grow your customer base or approach a new one, the first step is learning about your audience and who you want to attract. Knowing the types of campers that stay at your campground can help you implement strategies to bring in more guests and make them happy.
KOA has the resources you need to develop strategies that attract customers to your campground. Consider investing in a KOA franchise to help you enhance your business. You could use KOA’s national branding and marketing, two key components we use to help grow our franchisees, to your advantage. Learn more about franchising and how you can become a KOA franchisee today.