The 2019 Industry Trends and Insights Report, released Monday by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), shows the campground industry has expanded rapidly in the past five years. The association expects even greater growth during the next 12 months.
ARVC’s survey sampled 614 outdoor hospitality owners and operators from across the country on expansion trends and plans, along with campground profiles, guest demographics, amenities, sites, accommodations and rates. The survey findings are broken down by region. They provide insight into the state of the camping industry
The study found more than 60 percent of RV parks and campgrounds have acreage available for expansion. The industry will likely see more than 52,000 new sites constructed in the next 12 months. These numbers seem to contradict anecdotal comments made previously in the industry suggesting private campgrounds were running out of room to grow.
“The outdoor hospitality industry has been experiencing rapid growth for the past decade, and despite some fears that growth was limited, this data shows otherwise,” ARVC President and CEO Paul Bambei said. “Park owners and operators across the country are enjoying a booming economy and are not only interested in expanding but planning to do so at an unprecedented rate.”
In addition to this expansion data, the study also drills down into details about rates, amenities and popular site types, reporting results by park size and region.
“This report can help owners make sound decisions on how to improve their park and boost their business,” Bambei said. “By seeing what amenities and sites comparable parks are offering, along with rate averages by region, this is a resource that can guide an owner to see what improvements or rate changes they can make to add extra revenue and stay ahead of the trends.”
The findings are especially important when compared with other industry surveys, including the 2019 North American Camping Report, published by Kampgrounds of America (KOA), which includes additional information showing the growth and changes in camper demographics.
“For example, if an owner is looking to target the emerging market of millennial campers, they can cross reference this data and KOA’s data showing that millennial campers prefer park models over standard spaces,” Bambei said. “It removes some of the guess work and helps an owner make a sound business decision based on hard numbers.”
ARVC plans on issuing this report on an annual basis so its members, and members of the industry, can begin to use it as the go-to report for year-over-year trends.
As a benefit of membership, the report is available at no cost to ARVC members, by visiting arvc.org/industry-reports. Non-members can download the report for $299.
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