What started as the vision of former KOA CEO Jim Rogers to provide actionable data not only for KOA but to be freely shared with the outdoor hospitality community has turned into the benchmark and definitive word on the scope of the outdoor hospitality market in North America. Through these ten years of consumer research and insights, the KOA research team has observed and reported the transformation of camping and outdoor hospitality from what appeared to be a cottage industry to, according to RVIA’s economic impact study reporting that RV parks and campgrounds contributed 35.7 billion dollars to the US economy. The ten years have revealed substantial market growth. Campgrounds have welcomed more than 41 million first-time camping households since the first survey was conducted in 2014. This year’s version of the annual Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report explores how the outdoor travel landscape has changed along with 2024 trends and more.
2024 Camping Intent and Travel Experiences
In the last ten years, leisure travel preferences have shifted significantly toward camping and outdoor experiences. The 2024 outlook is one of every three leisure trips for consumers including camping, similarly optimistic as more travelers seek unique ways to explore the outdoors.
Some key findings for the 2024 outdoor travel season include:
- There is a noticeable shift in health and wellness travel choices, with 79% of travelers planning to incorporate an effort to “slow down.”
- Top travel goals for 2024 include slowing down and enjoying experiences (57%), travel experiences that allow campers to “recharge” (50%), having a variety of experiences (41%), checking off several items on a travel bucket list (37%) and making spontaneous plans (34%).
- Campers are strongly interested in natural attractions, and they indicated that their top travel experiences for 2024 include natural events (50%), food tourism (31%), visiting small towns (29%), and combining work and leisure travel (25%).
- More than half of campers report they are more likely to continue camping, a 15% increase over 2023.
“Through our decade of research, we’ve seen camping evolve from simply being considered an outdoor activity to becoming a formidable segment of the travel marketplace,” said Toby O’Rourke, president and CEO of KOA. “Despite all the changes over the last 10 years, one thing remains constant: even more people see the importance of connecting with nature. Heeding the call, outdoor hospitality offers countless ways for a broad range of travelers to have one-of-a-kind experiences with those who matter most.”
10 Years of Transformation
In the last decade, total camping households increased by 23%, and active camping households surged by 68%. Camper demographics have become younger and more diverse during that time, underscoring camping’s popularity among a wide range of individuals and solidifying its importance in the greater travel landscape. Before 2019, camping brought in more than 2 million new households annually, and since the COVID-19 pandemic, that number has grown significantly, averaging 4.4 million new campers annually.
Key shifts and findings over the last decade include:
- Glamping emerged as a new camping experience, attracting 15.7 million entrants into outdoor hospitality in the past five years alone.
- Since 2014, there has been a 98% increase in households that camp three or more times annually.
- Close to half of campers in the last two years are under 35 compared to just 30% of total campers in 2014.
- Shift in ethnic diversity: 39% of campers are not Caucasian versus 23% 10 years ago.
Outdoor hospitality has become an important and distinct category in the travel industry over the last decade. While some things have changed the core element remains the same, I think KOA’s mission statement best describes it: “Connecting people to the outdoors and each other.”
- The human element is a significant factor in the outdoor hospitality experience, with 87% of leisure travelers agreeing that outdoor hospitality must incorporate human interaction.
- Travelers define outdoor hospitality as most of the time being spent outdoors (50%), the presence of camping amenities such as fire pits and outdoor seating areas (48%), and accommodations that reflect traditional camping amenities such as tents or RVs are present (43%).
- Though it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2016, glamping was not a household word in 2014 and in 2017, a survey found that only three out of 10 campers were aware of the word. The past few years have shown a boom in the trend, yet there still needs to be some clarification on its application both from the campground and guest perspective. That said, 34% of new guests and 36% of people are interested in trying glamping, according to the 2024 report. (Note: “glamping” questions were added to the research in 2017.)
In an interview with Woodall’s Campground Magazine, Toby O’Rourke said, “The best part about consistent investment in research is that you can see year-over-year growth and trends. We understand what’s truly a trend or what’s a blip, and we’ve been able to chart that massive growth of our business over these past 10 years. I think it is quite substantial when you step back and look at the numbers. The pandemic fueled a lot of growth, but because we were doing this research clear back to 2014, we know we were having year-over-year growth consistently even heading into the pandemic. So, it has been validating, I guess in some sense to just how popular outdoor hospitality and camping is and having 10 years’ worth of data to stand behind it.”
Something New
The KOA Research team will release nine supplemental reports, providing in-depth analysis on topics including glamping, modernization, the camper profile, and more. To view the full 2024 Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report, visit https://koa.com/north-american-camping-report/. Additional supplemental reports will be released in the coming weeks, exploring several topics more in-depth, and will be available at KOAPressroom.com.
ABOUT KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA
Kampgrounds of America, Inc. has been the definitive leader in outdoor hospitality for more than 60 years. United under the mission of “connecting people to the outdoors and each other,” the company consists of two unique brands: KOA and Terramor Outdoor Resorts. KOA, the world’s largest system of privately-owned, open-to-the-public campgrounds, consists of more than 500 franchised and owned campgrounds. With unrivaled brand visibility, KOA also offers campground owners and operators unparalleled support in campground education, design, recruitment, marketing and technology. Terramor Outdoor Resorts, a glamping venture, opened its first flagship property in Bar Harbor, Maine in 2020. Literally meaning ‘Love of Land,” the brand focuses on delivering a refined and upscale outdoor experience. For more information, visit KOA.com and TerramorOutdoorResort.com.
To learn more about joining the KOA Family of Campgrounds, contact us:
CALL US (406) 709-3536
EMAIL US: FRANCHISESALES@KOA.NET