NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Camping has always been a popular activity, but a surge of interest in the outdoors fueled by the pandemic has introduced more people to the different ways to camp.
In a podcast interview with HNN, Kampgrounds of America CEO and President Toby O’Rourke said people have been traveling by recreational vehicle, staying in cabins and pitching their own tents for years, but the pandemic pushed people to travel and stay in new ways.
“They were looking for ways to be outside,” she said.
To put that increased interest in perspective, roughly 58 million households camped last year, a 27% jump from 2019, she said. There are a lot of different ways that people engage in outdoor hospitality, which KOA defines as a stay in the outdoors with some level of service.
Some people like to bring their own tents, but the things that have been in this category are cabin accommodations, glamping, canvas tents, tree houses, yurts and RVs, she said.
“The RV market exploded,” she said. “A lot of people bought RVs, rented RVs, and they’re still continuing to travel that way.”
Glamping has continued to grow in popularity over the years, O’Rourke said. It’s brought a new guest and traveler to the outdoors: people who otherwise would never consider themselves campers. They may not want to pitch a tent and sleep on the ground or travel by RV, but a luxury tent with nice bedding and linens and a beautiful bathroom and an on-site massage sounds appealing.
Most people associate KOA with its campgrounds, but it also has a brand called Terramor Outdoor Resort, she said. Terramor’s flagship property is in Bay Harbor, Maine, and the brand is looking to expand. It’s targeted toward people coming to the market who would typically stay in hotel resorts.
“We’re giving them everything they expected at a resort in an outdoor setting,” she said.
There are people who want to rough it and be that back-country camper, she said. They like to hike in, live simply and really rough it. Others want to be pampered and have a luxury stay. Then there’s everyone in between.
KOA has seen a change in the demographics of who is camping over the past four to five years, she said. Half of the people who camp are younger than 35 now. Roughly 40% of campers are non-white.
“I think it's because there's so much variety and there's so much accessibility to the outdoors now that you're just seeing a lot of different people trying it,” she said.
More traditional hotel companies have started to move into the camping and outdoor hospitality spaces, O’Rourke said, noting recent partnerships with hotel brand companies’ loyalty programs and alternative accommodation platforms.
“What is happening is the hotel market is recognizing outdoors as a formidable part of travel,” she said.
KOA’s research shows that one out of every four leisure trips last year included camping or some kind of stay in the outdoors, she said. During the pandemic, it was one in every three.
“We recognize that, and I think hotel companies now do too, that people want unique experiences, so they are adding outdoor offerings,” she said. “There's so many benefits to outdoor stays, so I think it's a smart move on their part to extend in some form or fashion in that direction by diversifying their offerings.”
For more from the interview with KOA's Toby O'Rourke, listen to the podcast above.