Modern life can be stressful, and more people are discovering the peacefulness and fun that comes with stepping away from the daily grind and slowing down in nature. According to the Kampgrounds of America 2023 North American Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report, over 58 million American households went camping at least once in 2022.
These numbers are much higher than those from before 2020. By investing in a campground, you can provide families with a place to rest and recuperate outdoors while making a profit.
How to Improve Campground Profitability
There are many practical steps for how to increase campground profits, but making your camping sites more valuable is the first step.
By focusing on a better customer experience, you can create a destination that stands out and is worth the extra price. Here are five ways to make your campground more profitable — you can also reach out to Kampgrounds of America to learn more!
Start a Campground Store
One of the best ways to increase campground profitability in the camping and RV park industry is by investing in a campground store. It’s common for travelers to forget small items, and you can improve their peace of mind and meet their needs with a well-thought-out store.
There’s something about being outside that makes people much hungrier than usual. One of the best items to stock your store with is food, such as:
- Fruit
- Granola bars
- Bottled water
- Electrolyte drinks
- Coffee/tea
- Hot chocolate
- S’mores fixings
- Ice cream
If your campground is in a warm climate, consider opening up a restaurant or ice cream store. You could keep these open seasonally to reduce operational costs.
Another good category to stock your shelves with is camping supplies. These items are essential for a good experience, but they’re easy to forget at home:
- Firewood
- Kindling
- Matches/lighters
- Paracord
- Hammocks
- Sleeping bags/mats
- Lanterns/flashlights
- Batteries
- First-aid kits
Many campers enjoy getting souvenirs to remember their trip. Here are several merch ideas, all of which can be themed to celebrate your unique campground location:
- Hoodies
- T-shirts
- Hats
- Mugs
- Stickers
- Fridge magnets
- Christmas ornaments
Before choosing what to sell, look at your customer base and research what might appeal to them. Start with necessities, then branch out into branded merchandise.
Offer Free Wi-Fi
Another way to improve your campground experience is by offering free Wi-Fi. There are many reasons why customers will want online access while camping, including to:
- Coordinate with friends at the camp.
- Let family members know they’ve arrived safely.
- Check the weather forecast.
- Use a GPS to enter and leave camp.
- Post about their trip on social media.
- Remote Work.
When you offer free Wi-Fi, your guests have more flexibility for communication and planning. They don’t have to make every decision ahead of time, and they can change their plans after their stay begins.
Access to Wi-Fi makes customers feel secure. They can still contact the outside world and communicate easily within their group. They can also use internet access to post about their experiences online. Free marketing!
Some guests may prefer not to have Wi-Fi if their goal is to completely disconnect for a while. However, many guests who visit your campground will at least want Wi-Fi to communicate with family and friends while away.
Provide Laundry Services and a Bathhouse
After the campsites, the most important amenities are a bathhouse and a building for laundry services. Campers who can shower are unquestionably much happier than those who have to stay dirty for days. If you can provide them with a spacious, clean bathhouse, you can set your campground apart.
Here are several things to consider when planning bathroom facilities:
- Cleanliness is everything. Your facilities should be cleaned frequently so guests feel comfortable using them.
- Basics can feel like luxury at a campground. For many campers, a clean shower and a mirror can be very exciting after a long day of being active outdoors.
- Options make more visitors happy. Consider offering bathrooms with different stall sizes and amenities so more options are available for families and individuals.
One of the benefits of camping is realizing how much we take for granted on a daily basis — running water and toilets being key examples. Your guests will appreciate your campground on a whole new level if you cover these basic needs during their stay.
Why You Should Include Laundry Facilities at Your Campground
Families who plan long camping trips need laundry facilities to make it through the week without having to re-wear dirty clothes. If they’re traveling with kids, laundry facilities are even more important.
You can set up your laundry building like a laundromat, where people can pay per use of each machine. Alternatively, consider rolling the cost of laundry into the total cost of a reservation.
Improve Branding
Camping is an experience — and the experience is what you’re selling, rather than the campground itself. That’s where branding comes in.
When you brand your campground, you give it an identity with unique value for campers. There are many different brand identities you could aim for, and each promotes a different experience. A few examples include:
- Family-oriented: playgrounds, swimming lessons and fall festivals
- Active: hiking tours, zip lines and kayaking
- Luxury: comfortable cabins, a restaurant and live music by the water
- Laid-back: outdoor movie nights, stargazing, horseback riding
- Nature-focused: cave tours, educational events, extensive hiking
Here are some questions you can ask to develop a brand identity that stands out:
- Who will stay at your campground?
- What activities might they enjoy?
- What can campers do while staying there?
- What makes your geographical area special?
Once you’ve created a brand identity, every decision you make should line up with your branding values. This creates a sense of consistency that customers will begin to associate with your campground. The next time they want to go camping, they’ll say, “Remember the campground where…” — whatever comes after that is your brand.
Clean the Campground
Taking care of your campground will also improve customers’ experience. You could do this through:
- Storm cleanup
- Snow plowing
- Trash pickup
- Pothole repair
- Signage improvement
A surprising number of things need maintenance at a campground. First, you need to consider the roads leading in and out of the campground. After some use, they must be repaved or have fresh gravel laid down. After the winter, you may also need to deal with potholes.
You should also ensure campgrounds aren’t flooded during wet seasons. To prevent this, sites and roads should be graded so the water can run off instead of pooling and causing damage. While some maintenance is ongoing, a lot of work can be prevented through careful planning.
Tips for Keeping Your Campground Tidy
Trash management is another important part of keeping your campground tidy. If you’re in an area with high populations of bears, raccoons and other wildlife, it’s especially important. Trash bins should be easily accessible and emptied frequently, and employees should check for litter regularly.
Clear signage gives campers the tools they need to navigate your site without anxiety. It can also make rules like “no littering” very clear to your customers. Keep signage updated and free of graffiti to send a message that your campground is well cared for.
How to Earn More Money at Your Campground
After you’ve improved your existing facilities, consider adding new upgrades to your campground. For example, you can rent out specialized camping equipment, upgrade your booking processes and plan fun seasonal events to attract more campers.
Here are some ideas to get started:
Rent Equipment
Consider renting out specialized equipment to your campers to generate additional income, such as:
- Tents
- Yurts
- Hammocks
- Tarps
- Bikes
- Mountain bikes
- Skis
- Snowshoes
- Kayaks
- Jet skis
- Fishing gear
- Golf carts
Think about what activities the weather permits and what people might need to enjoy your campground. Most people won’t bring a golf cart with them on a camping trip — but renting one can make a significant difference for grandparents trying to keep up with their grandkids.
You could also offer beginner camping packages so new families can try out camping before they invest in all the gear they need. Items to consider putting in a gear package include sleeping bags, a camping stove, dishes, tarps, a flashlight and a tent.
Another option is to brand your campground as a location for people interested in activities like kayaking, mountain biking or skiing. You could wrap an additional fee into the campsite reservations so that rentals are included for every site.
Upgrade Digital Processes
You can also save money and attract more customers by switching all administrative paperwork to digital processes. If you’re already digital, think about ways to improve campers’ experience on your website, app or online reservation service. Customer’s user experience, or “UX,” can make a difference in whether they complete transactions.
Many campers belong to younger generations and use technology for everything from grocery shopping and dating to booking a campsite for the weekend. If your reservation system is difficult to navigate, your campground will feel antiquated regardless of how exciting and well-cared for it is.
The quality of your online presence signals to campers what their experience at your physical campground will be like. An updated interface builds trust, which is important when visitors are traveling to a new place in a rural area.
Some campgrounds are also using online systems to track and upsell campsites during busy times of the year. This helps you make the most profit for your space so you can continue improving your customers’ experience through upgrades over the next year. It also encourages campers to book early.
How Social Media Can Benefit Your Campground
An updated digital presence wouldn’t be complete without social media. Consider investing in these free marketing tools if you haven’t already — sites like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook bring you an audience that’s already interested in entertainment and searching for fun places to visit.
Here are a few ways you can use social media to promote your campground business:
- Post-event schedules to raise awareness
- Create shareable content to increase visibility
- Run digital contests and specials
- Watch competitor schedules and promotions
- Advertise your campground for free
Most of these social media sites offer options for running paid ads. However, just putting beautiful pictures of your campground in front of people repeatedly could increase the number of your visitors — and the best part is, it’s free!
Before you start a social media campaign, make sure you’ve zeroed in on your branding and campground identity. Your accounts should show the story you’re telling about your campground — what makes it stand out, why visitors should come there, and what they’ll experience when they do.
Plan Seasonal Events
Consider planning special events throughout the year as an added attraction for campers. Events are an opportunity to partner with local business owners, so you have access to more resources and can benefit the entire community near your campground.
Here are a few examples of seasonal events you can host:
- Fall festivals
- Stargazing events
- Outdoor movie nights
- Live music events
- Sports competitions
- Balloon events
Hosting takes additional planning, funds and staff. However, a special event can become a staple that attracts campers and brings in revenue every year. It’s another component of your campground’s brand identity.
You can also open your campground to host personal events, such as:
- Weddings
- Reunions
- Summer camps
- School trips
- Birthday parties
Some campground operators may not find these events to be worth it since they take additional preparation, coordination and cleanup. However, special events are an incredible way to spread word-of-mouth reviews for your campground.
When people experience special moments in a beautiful place, they tell all their friends about it. They also tend to post about events on social media, spreading the word about your campground to others.
Maximize Your Profits With a KOA
Campground owners can increase their profits in many ways. Use these ideas to experiment and see what specific strategies work best in your area and with your customer base.
If you’re looking for a profitable campground franchise, partner with KOA. Kampgrounds of America is a well-established company that’s already worked out stellar branding and has a satisfied customer base. Families across North America choose KOA for its high-quality camping options.
Join KOA and bring a slice of the great outdoors to campers near you. Have questions about the franchise process? Reach out to us today to learn more.
