A recent survey of over 1,000 campground and RV park operators in Texas, Florida, Alabama and New York found most respondents anticipating higher occupancies this year than in 2022.
The data came from surveys conducted by campground associations in Texas, Florida, Alabama and New York.
“We are encouraged by the consistent feedback we received from independently owned and operated campgrounds in different parts of the country,” Campground Owners of New York said. “This means that the increasing demand we are seeing for campsites is not limited to a single state or region of the country.”
About 400 campground and RV park operators responded to the survey.
Among the survey’s key findings from campground and RV park operators:
- 54% said they anticipate better occupancy in 2023 than 2022; 39% about the same
- 60% said they are basing their answers off advanced reservations for this year; 44% off inbound calls and inquiries
- 60% said guests are booking at about the same time as they were in 2022; 25% said earlier than in 2022
Texas Association of Campground Owners Executive Director and CEO Brian Schaeffer said he was not surprised by the survey findings.
“We had anecdotal information based on calls, emails and requests for our state camping guide indicating camping was on the rise, but the survey really confirmed that for us,” he said. “We still have an issue of not enough campsites for the overall number of RVs that are on the road, particularly with the huge spike up in RV sales due to Covid, but many parks in Texas are adding sites as fast as they can.”
Entrepreneurs in Florida are building new RV resorts and adding campsites to existing parks in response to rising market demand.
“There have been over 30 RV parks built in Florida and Alabama over the past three years, and thousands of RV sites added,” said Bobby Cornwell, president and CEO of the Florida and Alabama RV Park and Campground Association. “The newer parks and parks that have added newer sites and more amenities are doing very well.”
