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May 19, 2021

First Edition of KOA’s Monthly Research Predicts that More than One-third of Campers Intend to Camp Memorial and Victoria Day Weekends

BILLINGS, Mont. (May 19, 2021) – Following the release of Kampgrounds of America’s (KOA) annual North American Camping Report in April, new monthly research will continue to track camping incidence and behavior across all North American campers. The KOA Monthly Research Report – May Edition indicates more than 17.8 million households will kick off their summer camping season over Memorial and Victoria Day weekends*.

While most campers plan to camp only over the holiday weekend, 24% indicate extending their trip by either a day or two or the entire week before or after the long weekend. Additional Memorial and Victoria Day findings include campers’ preferred type of campground, top U.S. States and Canadian Provinces,  and reasons for – and what’s keeping them from – camping.

Based on the new monthly cadence of data, the KOA Monthly Research Report projects camping incidence for 2021 will surpass a record year in 2020. It is estimated that over 52.5 million households will camp this year and that 4.3 million new households will try campers for the first time.

“As the travel industry continues to rebound from the pandemic, we believe it is important to closely monitor campers’ behavior and sentiment toward camping and travel in general,” said Toby O’Rourke, president and CEO of Kampgrounds of America. “Campers continue to indicate that they feel camping is safer than other forms of travel. This, coupled with lower rates of COVID-19 impacting summer camping plans, gives us a positive outlook for a strong camping season ahead.”

Other key camping industry indicators to be tracked include participation, incidence and future intent, campers’ preferred destinations, and the impact of the pandemic on camping behavior.

To view the full findings of the KOA Monthly Research Report – May Edition, future editions and review the research methodology, visit the KOA Press Room.

* Research conducted with a randomly selected cross-section of U.S. and Canadian households in early May. Some Canadian Provinces are still under COVID-19 travel restrictions, which may inhibit camping.

 

 

ABOUT KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA

Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA) is the world’s largest system of open-to-the-public campgrounds with more than 520 locations across the U.S. and Canada. The industry leader in outdoor hospitality, KOA’s family of campground brands – KOA Journey, KOA Holiday and KOA Resort – offer sites and amenities designed for every type of camping experience. The company was founded 59 years ago in Billings, Mont., and today serves more than a million camping families each year, who rely on the standards of excellence and unique outdoor adventures KOA is known for. For more information, visit KOA.com.

 

ABOUT CAIRN CONSULTING GROUP

Cairn Consulting Group is a market research firm with extensive experience in the hospitality and services industries. For the past several years, Cairn Consulting Group has worked with organizations in both indoor and outdoor hospitality, including the gaming/casino areas, food services/restaurant space, accommodations, travel/tourism and the products and services that are a part of the hospitality industry. The organization also serves clients in branding/brand positioning efforts, evaluating consumer behavior, public opinion & policy and product development.