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Tag: survey

  • RVIA Shares RV Travelers’ Labor Day Plans

    RVIA Shares RV Travelers’ Labor Day Plans

    Travel over the Labor Day weekend looks to be busy if the survey by the RV Industry Association is correct. In their newly released Fall Travel Intention Survey, the RVIA reports that some 7.4 million Americans are going to be spending part of the Labor Day weekend traveling by RV, which is an increase over last year. Why?

    Travel, Your Way

    “RV travel continues to offer comfort, affordability, and a direct connection to the outdoors that makes it stand out as the premier way to experience autumn across America,” said Monika Geraci, RV Industry Association spokesperson. “From scenic road trips to national and state park adventures, and from beach getaways to leaf-peeping in the Northeast, RVers can enjoy so many ways to explore just beyond their door.”

    Survey Says…

    Road Trip With the Whole Family: These road trippers are expected to travel about 4–7 hours from their home base with 74 percent stating that they’ll be bringing pets along for the adventure.

    It’s All About the Journey: For respondents, the top “destination” is the road trip itself; of course, many proposed itineraries also include national and state parks, coastal destinations and festivals, fairs, concerts, and theme parks.

    Word of Mouth, or Word of Machine? Almost a third of the respondents indicated that they were using artificial intelligence-based tools to help with the planning of their getaway. Also in play are trip-planning websites, social media, and app-based services.

    Shifting RV Trends

    In addition to travel destinations and intentions, the survey also revealed broader attitudes towards RV travel.

    • The Affordable Option: 60 percent of respondents cited affordability of RV travel as a top reason they plan to take an RV trip this fall. Enjoying the RV lifestyle and escaping the “busyness of life” rounded out the top three reasons given.
    • Stable Costs: 47 percent of RVers cite economic uncertainty as a reason to travel by RV this fall, up from 33 percent this summer.
    • Younger Buyers: Millennials and Gen Z show the greatest year-over-year increase in RV purchase interest (up 16% year-over-year).
    • Shorter Trips: Most RVers plan to stay within a 4–7 hour drive from home.
    • Remote Work: More RVers than this time last year are planning to work remotely while RVing this fall.
  • Survey Says: Fewer No-Shows and Cancellations as Campers Get More Responsible

    Survey Says: Fewer No-Shows and Cancellations as Campers Get More Responsible

    Despite ongoing complaints of no-shows at many campgrounds, particularly public places, the incidence of campers bailing on their reservations has in fact decreased significantly this past year, according to web booking service The Dyrt. The company’s 2025 Camping Report – which surveyed campers who use its app, camping property managers, and residents across the US – states that cancellations and no-shows dropped by 16.7% in 2024 compared to 2023. Additionally, 70.7% of campers reported using all of their reservations for the year, an 11.8% increase.

    The decrease in campers canceling or breaking their reservations was seen across all categories tracked by the survey – including campers who arrived one or more days late (3.7%, down 0.5% from 2023), and those who left the campsite early (12.8%, down 3.9%). Of the campers who remembered to cancel their reservation – accounting for 32.7% of survey respondents – fewer than one-quarter did so less than two days in advance (6.9% overall, down 3.8%).

    Interestingly, there appears to be a correlation between a camper’s reported income and their likelihood of no-showing a reservation (though this too is self-reported). The overall percentage of campers who said they did not show up to a reservation in 2024 was 4%. However, this rate was higher, at 5.8%, among those who earned more than $250,000 per year – 45% greater than the norm. In the next income bracket, $101,000–$250,000, the rate was 4.4%. For those earning $50,000–$100,000, the rate was 3.2%. Finally, only 2.1% of the group earning under $50,000 annually admitted to no-showing a reservation in 2024.

    “I think there’s increasing awareness of the fact that it hurts other campers to reserve a campsite and leave it empty and the camping community is stepping up to do better,” says The Dyrt founder Sarah Smith, who also cites recent legislation in California and Washington, which limits stay lengths and caps total nights, as factors encouraging campers to cancel well in advance. The new rules also mean that fewer frivolous reservations are made in the first place.

    “The fact that cancellations and no-shows went down significantly is very encouraging,” says The Dyrt CEO Kevin Long. “Fewer sites are going to waste, more campers are able to secure a spot, and property owners and managers have more predictability. It’s a positive for everybody.”

  • KOA Says Campers Getting Younger, Prioritizing Campground Amenities

    KOA Says Campers Getting Younger, Prioritizing Campground Amenities

    Today’s RV campers are looking for more opportunities to escape the ruckus of daily life, while having the option to connect when they want – not when they are forced to. The new insights come from the Kampgrounds of America (KOA) Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report for 2024.

     

    21.6 Million Campers Spend Around a Week Out Per Year

    According to the data collected by the campground and RV resort operator, the love of camping starts at a young age and continues into adulthood. The report shows 60 percent of campers have their first outdoor experience before they turn 18, turning positive memories into a passion as they grow. Today, over 21.6 million households identify as “active campers,” an increase of 68 percent over the past ten years.

    Camping and RVing is also turning into a preferred vacation method for all types of travelers. The study found camping accounted for one in three leisure trips in the U.S., with campers going on one to two trips per year. On average, campers spend around one week at their favorite campsites each year.

     

    Generational Differences in Travel Accommodations and Preferred Partners

    Going camping is often associated with the older generations who have more leisure time and income to spend on travel. However, KOA found that the younger generations are getting much more active with their camping. Only 52 percent of campers identified as “Gen X” and “Boomers,” while Millennials accounted for 28 percent of travelers.

    Across all generations, spouses and significant others are the preferred partners for camping trips for Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers – Gen Z show no strong preference between partners and friends. Where the generations differ is in their expectations for the camping experience. While Gen Z want to have adventure-based experiences in the outdoors, Millennials want to spend quality time with family and friends. And while Millennials like to go “glamping,” both Gen X and Boomers prefer the luxury of RVs.

    While many campers enjoy “roughing it” off the beaten path, more campers are looking for hotel-like amenities when choosing where to stay. Over half of campers say they begin their trips at a campground or outdoor resort with “abundant services and amenities.” It should come as no surprise that the most popular amenity is a Wi-Fi connection, with nearly half saying it is the “most important” feature of a campground.

    To collect their data, KOA sent out over 4,000 surveys to campers across the United States and Canada, evenly distributed by census region in the U.S. The full report is available to download from the KOA website.