On this week’s episode of RV Family Travel Atlas, we are looking at the 2015 North American Camping Report. This survey, sponsored by Kampgrounds of America, was released last week and offers an interesting (and sometimes surprising) look at campers in North America.
We start off by discussing the very definition of camping itself, which tends to be a hot-button topic in the RV world. Do you have to be sleeping on the ground to call it camping? The group conducting this report doesn’t think so. They say it doesn’t matter whether you are in a tent, a cabin, or a big rig…its the campground that makes the camper. Do you agree?
Then onto the basics: who is camping and where are they going? We found it surprising that most people (about 50%) are taking destination trips, driving to one campground and hanging out for a week or so. This seems to be a shift from the trend of more local weekend trips that the industry was focusing on a couple of years ago.
What did we find most interesting? Campgrounds are starting to look a little more like our diverse country, with the camping rates among non-whites almost doubling between 2012 and 2014. We love the diversity of age and economic status that we find in campgrounds. It is really good news that ethnic diversity is developing as well.
And of course, no conversation about modern camping would be complete with a little bit of technology talk. Everybody keeps talking about WiFi, but we think that really misses the point. Listen to hear why we believe this will be a non issue in no time at all.
Planning and booking those campsites? Well, you know we have some opinions about that. It looks like a lot of other campers agree, too. They seem to be taking advice from friends and family, and using the ole fashioned call and reserve over any of the new fangled methods. We like it.
We also like all the spring camping resolutions that our listeners and readers sent in over the last week. We wrap up the episode by sharing some of the great goals y’all shared. Keep them coming…we love camping inspiration!
Pull up the report and follow along as we go…we give page numbers so you can keep up. And send us in your thoughts and comments. What did you find surprising? What kind of American camper are you?
2015 camping season is a go, folks! See you at the campground…
