North American Camping Report

A special edition of the 2020 North American Camping Report gauges leisure travelers’ attitudes toward camping for the remainder of 2020 and beyond. Special Report: North American Camping and the Effects of COVID-19 is now available for distribution and use by the media.

NACR

2020 Special Report

The COVID-19 edition of the North American Camping Report reveals implications to the camping market, including when and how travelers might prefer to resume travel activity. Findings were based on a survey conducted of North American leisure travelers – April 27-30, 2020 in order to obtain real-time perspective on camping. This new research shows the camping industry may rebound sooner than other forms of travel, and may even gain strength later in the year, due to its consideration as a safe way to resume travel among COVID-19 health precautions.

Download the 2020 Special Report

The COVID-19 Fall 2020 Update to the North American Camping Report surveyed general leisure travelers September 4-9, 2020 to understand if behavior and sentiment toward camping had changed from initial reporting conducted in May 2020. Not only has camping activity increased from initial projections in May, but many travelers who now consider themselves “campers” indicate taking their first trip during the pandemic.

Download the COVID-19 Fall 2020 Update

North American Camping and the Effects of COVID-19 key findings:

  • Campers plan to take their planned camping trip this year, and non-campers say they are now interested in camping due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
  • Leisure travelers – including both campers and non-campers – rank camping as the safest form of travel to resume once restrictions are lifted.
  • Camping, glamping and road trips may replace other types of planned trips in 2020.
  • COVID-19 concerns will impact how campers camp in the short term, including smaller group sizes, camping closer to home and accommodation choices.
  • Interest in RV camping among both campers and non-campers can be attributed to concerns of cleanliness at other accommodations like hotels or resorts, as well as interest in avoiding communal facilities.
  • Once travelers feel it is safe to travel again, spending time outdoors with family is what leisure travelers are looking forward to most.

2020 Annual North American Camping Report

Cover of the 2020 North American Camping Report

The North American Camping Report research initiative, sponsored by Kampgrounds of America, reports on the behaviors and attitudes of North American campers, including where, how, why and with whom campers camp. Each January North American campers are asked to reflect on their previous year of camping, as well as forecast activity in the current calendar year. Due to the escalation of the global coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 and response of the U.S. and Canadian governments, including travel restrictions, 2020 forecasting results have been removed from the 2020 North American Camping Report.

Download the 2020 Report

Key findings of the 2020 North American Camping Report:

  • In 2019, there were more than 91 million camper households throughout North America.
  • Between 2018-2019, 2.7 million new households started camping.
  • New and unique outdoor experiences, like glamping, are driving the growth in camping in North America.
  • Diversity in the outdoors continues to increase with Hispanic campers representing the largest non-white group of campers. Campers under age 25 are the most ethnically diverse.
  • Based on trends from the past six years of reporting, the growth in annual camping households was expected to continue in 2020. Even against the backdrop of this year's global pandemic, the influx of potential new campers, coupled with the notion of camping as a safe travel option, demonstrates a strong influence camping will continue to have in the outdoor recreation economy.
 

Download Previous Editions

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

Media

The links below are provided should you need to contact a member of the KOA Media Relations Team (use the Media Contact link), obtain printable photos or graphs from the North American Camping Report research (use the KOA Pressroom link), or desire additional information or facts about Kampgrounds of America (use the KOA Fact Sheets link).

Media Contact
KOA Pressroom
KOA Fact Sheets