‘Camper Retention’ is a new section of the annual North American Camping Report released by Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) for 2022.
Over the past two years, COVID-19 has significantly impacted travel. While much of this impact has been negative, camping has seen a dramatic increase in participation. In 2021, camping accounted for 40% of all leisure trips with more than half of travelers (53%) including camping in some or all of their travel. Leisure travelers, who would otherwise stay home, have utilized camping as a preferred form of travel and many are indicating camping will be part of their plans in 2022 and beyond.
The Camper Retention section covers what campers look for to enhance their camping experience.
Why is camper retention important? The section (page 20 of the report) notes that 4-in-10 campers experienced issues in 2021, such as overcrowding, changing the way they camped due to an influx of new campers, or the quality of the camping experience impacted due to a large number of newcomers. As a result of these unpleasant experiences among new campers of 2021, an estimated one-fourth (24%) are unlikely to, or at risk of, not camping in 2022.
The report also covers other topics, including:
- Growth in Camping
- Who is the New Campe
- Glamping
- The GenZ Camper
- ‘Work from Home’ Campers
- Diversity in Camping
- The Future of Camping
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