A new report issued today by KOA affirms what many long-term RVers already suspect — that today’s campers are far different from even a decade ago. Go back another decade or two and the changes are dramatic.
The RV industry continues to promote the idea that RVing is all about getting back to nature. But the fact is, and it shows in this survey, that is very old thinking. It’s no longer true. Here’s what KOA has learned about today’s RVers, glampers and other campers and travelers.
The latest installment of the annual Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report from Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA), released today, reveals the trends reshaping the camping landscape.
The Campground Modernization report highlights the shifts seen in the travel and outdoor hospitality space in the last 10 years. Notably, there has been a shift in the travel industry led by millennials, the largest generational group in North America, through their travel behaviors and demand for more modern amenities.
Modern Campers Desire Modern Amenities
- Many privately owned campgrounds have begun to diversify their offerings, due to the growing demand for unique accommodations like cabins, safari tents, treehouses, and tiny homes.
- Convenience continues to push camping behavior, with eight in 10 non-campers and seven in 10 campers stating they are interested in staying at a campground where the RV is set up before arrival.
- More than half of campers say they would choose a campground that has sustainability practices over one that does not, with 54% of millennials being more likely to choose a campground based on sustainable practices.
“As the travel industry continues to evolve, we’re beginning to see a shift in how campers are looking to experience the outdoors,” says KOA President and CEO, Toby O’Rourke. “Private campgrounds and outdoor hospitality resorts have led the charge in modernizing amenities and the guest experience. Campers today have learned to expect services and amenities that make their stay more comfortable.”
Technology Enhances Camping Experience
- As technology continues to play a pivotal role in modern camping, Gen Z campers have noted they will spend an extra nine days camping when they have access to technology.
- Wi-Fi has become a crucial amenity for many campers, especially among millennials, Gen Z, higher-income households and urban campers. Nearly half of new campers say it is the most important amenity when choosing a campground.
- Four in 10 campers view text message updates and digital check-ins as an important feature to the camping experience.
Evolution of Transportation in Camping
- Electric vehicle charging stations have become an important amenity for campgrounds with many campers saying they’d consider a campground if it offered a charging station. Notably, 80% of campers who own or plan to own an electric vehicle would use them for camping purposes including car camping, tent camping or glamping.
- No-car camping grows in popularity especially among campers who reside in urban areas and those from higher income households to eliminate the hassle of driving.
To view the full 2024 Campground Modernization report, visit here. Additional supplemental reports will be released in the coming weeks, exploring several topics more in-depth.
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
The results of the most recent iteration of the North American Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report are based on a total of 4,100 surveys completed among a random sample of U.S. (n=2,900) and Canadian (n=1,200) households. Within the U.S. sample of households, results are stratified by Census Region: Northeast (n=725), Midwest (n=725), South (n=725) and West (n=725).
Overall, a sample of n=2,900 U.S. households is associated with a margin of error of +/- 1.82 percentage points, while a sample of n=1,200 Canadian households is associated with a margin of error of 2.83 percentage points. All surveys were completed only via an outbound solicitation sent to a randomly selected cross-section of U.S. and Canadian households. In order to calculate overall incidence, the sample of respondents was statistically balanced to ensure that the results are in line with overall population figures for age, gender and ethnicity. Some results may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.
##RVT1177b
I’m not sure what this means:
“eight in 10 non-campers and seven in 10 campers stating they are interested in staying at a campground where the RV is set up before arrival.”
Does this include RVers? Seems a little strange… How about all those people at national, state, and county campgrounds?
Thanks for all your interesting articles!
These are the people who use Doordash and Starbucks because making a cup of coffee or a microwave meal is just too much work. Don’t hate on these people. They won’t be competing for your state park spot.
A lack of “respect” for some ones opinion is not hate. It is my opinion born out of years of being the “dumb schmuck” who helped to build this venue these entilted newbies seem to believe they should be handed.
Boy, sure isn’t my idea of camping
Deluxe amenities to me would be 30 amp electric and a nearby dump station.
The “I want everything done for me, given to me with no effort on my part” generation strikes again. Just put a check down and sit back while one of us “baby boomers” who “helped to build all of this” services all their perceived rights to whatever they feel they should have without any effort on their part. Wait till all the help- us old farts- just quit.
So p…ed off about this topic my grammar suffered,
Roger that.
No kidding. Set up?? Hassle of driving??.
Looks like REAL camping spots may be opening up? It is a shame that people will no longer be wanting to see our great outdoors. If they don’t experience nature, they won’t know to protect nature. When nature is grass growing in the crack of a sidewalk, we are doomed. Thank God that my daughter still likes to get dirt under her pink fingernails.
Thank you, RV Travel! 🙂 Well, that was a lot of interesting information. It certainly bears out the conclusion that I am OLD and probably also an ANACHRONISM. 🤔😯 I guess fewer campsites will exist in the future because yurts will replace them. Thanks again, have a great day, and safe travels! 🙂
Granted, as my wife and I get older we want a few more amenities – we plan to upgrade from our 22 year old popup, to a small hard-side that has its own bathroom (no more stumbling around in the dark going to the bath-house for those late night nature calls) and air conditioning (neither of us sleeps well when it’s a hot, sticky night), a more comfortable bed (those popup mattresses are HARD, even with 3 inches of memory foam over them…), and a bigger fridge with a separate freezer (expands our choice of groceries, and we won’t have to buy ice or lug a big cooler along). BUT we will still cook our own meals, set up our own campsite, and sit under the awning drinking our morning coffee.
The bed you have in your popup is the same they put in most new RVs! A slab of granite. 😀
The world is fast going to the dogs. Sure glad we all experienced the outdoors when times were better.
OK. So this survey and report was published by KOA. As far as I know, it is completely biased because they want to expand their already overpriced camping experience. I never go to a KOA park unless it is the only option around. They are the most expensive, sites are close to each other, etc. I prefer the outdoors, often boondocking, and I don’t care about most of the ” improvements” they say people want and need. How did they conduct their survey? From their member list? As far as I’m concerned this is pure BS and should not be considered a true, unbiased report. My daughter and her friends are millennials. They car or tent camp, they love the outdoors and don’t want amenities. KOA: selfish
KOA along with RVIA both have self-interests in these type reports. Of course, things have changed in the last ten years, 20 years. AI, technology, society, politics, the world, change is constant! RV Travel has changed since I first started reading it (2018), look at all the ads, new writers with their own soundbites and opinionated articles and it’s not been ten years, lol!
I consider this a very biased report that supports the KOA business model of expensive parks with lots of amenities. We mostly stayed in State Parks and small campgrounds this summer while traveling across the country and they were full of families enjoying nature.
Gee. KOA couldn’t possibly have any bias in a report like this, could they? And thanks a lot for the opportunity to read and re-read the article to figure out what in the world N=2900 means. You’re not RVing if you arrive at an RV all set up and waiting for you. What’s next, an Uber to the RV park.
Re: N=2900
The words “surveys” and “a sample of…” sorta gave away what that means, well I thought so.
We don’t stay at KOA campgrounds but it’s interesting to read how their outbound customers think.
The results suggest folks that frequent KOA establishments yearn for a motel with WiFi within range of T-Mobile, Uber and DoorDash. Considering the source, it actually sounds pretty accurate.
That said, if those leaving the Quartzite LTVA were surveyed, the results would be as different as those leaving a RV Resort with adjoining casitas.
If there’s water and a dump along the route and the spot between the trees kinda level, that’s all the amenities we typically need.
Basically Vince they want a hotel or motel in the woods.
They don’t let us show who comments to others, which is probably a great thing.
I gave you a Thumbs up! Right and left hand.
I better be quiet, I’ve been commenting too much for some folks. It’s another Saturday-Night for old=er dudes-dudettes of us out here. It was a sunny swell day in Chelan with old HYDRO races today!
My millennial kid’s favorite camping destination is Great Smoky Mountains NP. No Wifii or Cellphone signal there. Just their Suburu, tent, dog, and hiking. I highly doubt you’d ever find them at a KOA.
Good for you! I’m guessing you showed them how swell our world is out there.
Except for the skeeters….Arrrg! I hate them to pieces…..
Electric vehicle charging stations in a campground? I wonder who’ll pay for that upgrade in infrastructure?
Wait until the all electric RVs start showing up and see where the prices go.
A 50A receptacle could charge an electric car in 6 hours. Just need an adapter that will share the current with the RV having priority and the vehicle charging as available. Splitting a 50A to 30A two legs would work but 12+ hours to charge EV.
Results seem contradictory to the fact that county, state, and national parks are booked solid way, way in advance. That doesn’t seem to support 7 of 10 campers wanting breakfast brought to their pre-set camper/yurt along with the morning paper… er, I mean high speed internet news on their tablet. Funny how they can pay $200-$300 a night for that, but can’t pay their student loans. 🤔
Great point! We seldom have a problem getting a reservation in a private campground. State parks, COE, and national forest campgrounds a much harder time.
I paid mine, I wonder if they will refund what I paid back? It was a “LOAN.”
Again, Oh Well …
Maybe I can now go out and buy a new …$1.8 million rig and not worry about the payments?…
I’m guessing, why not, wife is dead, no kiddos..Cats and dogs, my best friends are dead..Hmmmm What color should I get? Any single widows out there? (;+)..?
Text me at 555-1234….
Humor for anyone out there…..
I’m out here…driving a Pleasureway XLMB…solo. My husband died. You can reach me at ‘867-5309’. Cheers
KOA’s, Yogi Bear, and similar campgrounds are in my mind closer in nature to the stereotypic ‘summer camp’ than other campgrounds. 30 years ago, we stayed at a lot of KOA’s as we tour-camped – because they were reasonably consistent and it wasn’t possible to check places out via the internet and Google Earth. Today, we routinely only stay at one KOA. It is the only place within our mileage intervals to overnight with FHU on our fall/spring N<>S migration route. It is the most expensive stop of the week and most of the amenities are shut for the season. When we tour-camp today, KOA is one of the last places I look for.
Spot on Jim. I personally do not support KOA. They are the worst thing happening to the RV’ing camping industry.
I’ve stayed at one on the way towards Devil’s Tower in the 100+ temps. This was only to keep my late wife comfortable. I did enjoy the pool!
After playing Army in the late 60’s, 100+ was no big deal to me.
The few stats given in the article make me wonder how broad the survey was and who was surveyed. Such as “7 out of 10” campers would love to arrive at a campground with their RV already set up and ready to go. And, that stat coincides with the stat that 8 out of 10 non-campers want their campsite set up. The same group answered the question. Anyone who has visited a KOA has seen their shift to Yurts, Luxury Tents, Mini Cabins, and more. There are more people who don’t camp or RV than do, so build your product for the masses and shape and sharpen your marketing to attract those masses.
Omg all the tech and frills and playgrounds has nothing to do with getting back to nature.. Sounds more like camping at Disney.. Hope the camp grounds keep in mind not everyone wants to go “GLAMPING”
MY thought is all they care about are the $$$$$.Now if they would quit making reservations at state and NFS campgrounds and not showing up……….
The so-called campers….
Although I don’t put much faith in a KOA survey, I’m glad to hear that the new generation of campers want lots of amenities. It should open many more no hookup, no internet, sites for us!
Makes me want to camp at Grand Canyon, Great Basin and Yellowstone more. All places where cell phone connectivity is spotty at best.
Hey! Jonathan Dickenson State Park, FL has “Deluxe Safari Tents” complete with mini fridge, Keurig coffee maker, rugs lamps, queen beds, king, bunk beds and of course charging stations. Glamping at a state park! Imagine that!
It appears KOA has only defined the self-entitled twits that stay at their overpriced facilities. It’s only a “trend” at KOA.
We just returned from a short trip where we spent 7 nights in a delightful private park. Total cost….$280.00. On the way home, we couldn’t avoid a KOA and paid $110.00 plus tax for a lesser experience!
It’s been my observation that what people say in surveys versus what they will actually drop their own dollars on is quite different.
I bet some of these comments are the same our parents said in the 50’s. Interestingly, every comment is entered on the internet, which didn’t exist 30 – 40 years ago. I don’t totally believe this survey, but times change. Even here in a large resort, wi-if is important. Enjoy your camping or glamping
I will never forget the scene I saw at a state park next to McCall, Idaho…A large 5th Wheel with 10 chairs set outside of a large screen TV playing movies…
They today are probably the one’s with 10,000 candlepower outside lights on all night..
Something went wrong somewhere, a beautiful area, and why didn’t they just stay home..Oh Well……………(;+)….I am old enough to have enjoyed the swell places, they will never view, I figure….
KOA is the camping world of campgrounds, you can’t trust anything they put out without looking at their motives. I’ll say it here first. These two companies will merge within 5 years, or at least one will buy out the other.
One thing I would like to see on each campsite amenities data is “starlink sky availability”. Of course this varies a lot with height and position of the antenna. Maybe it could be reported by starlink customers to an independent database….hmmm.
Are campers changing OR are campgrounds seeking additional revenue sources? Teach your kids (and yourself) how to entertain themselves.
How about a survey on what kind of camping they like?
1-5 on each answer.
Hike in over 2 km 1 mile.
Hike in near parking lot.
Tent beside parking spot.
Parking spot every 3 meter 10 feet (slides bump).
Parking spot every 6 meter 20 feet. (alternate RV / car/truck).
Parking spot every 20 meter 66 feet (room for trees).
Parking spot every 100 meter 330 feet (hard to hear next site).
Parking spot every 0.5km 0.3 mi no power.