Kampgrounds of America Inc.

FIRST-TIME CAMPERS DRIVEN BY THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 1 2 T H E 2 0 2 1 N O R T H A M E R I C A N C A M P I N G R E P O R T Having a "Great" First Camping Experience For first-time campers, a great initial experience impacts whether they will continue to camp in the future. Three-fourths who had a "great" first experience in 2020 indicate they are likely to continue camping. Retaining the influx of new campers is highly dependent on providing amenities and services that make the experience easy and enjoyable such as those offered at private campgrounds. The following is a look at first-time campers who had a great experience and are thus more likely to return to camping. This group includes: P e r c e n t W h o H a d a " G r e at " F i r s t C a m p i n g E x p e r i e n c E ( 2 0 2 0 ) Glamping of Special Interest to First-Time Campers Camping as it exists in campgrounds with more amenities, a new generation of RVs and glamping in particular, removes many of the barriers to entry in a time of uncertainty. First-time campers in 2020 were significantly more likely than first-time campers in 2019, or when compared to experienced campers, to have started camping in a glamping accommodation. Glamping is defined as a camping experience that includes a greater number of services and amenities, and is also a more upscale type of experience. Glamping also involves staying in accommodations such as cabins, glamping tents, teepees, yurts, treehouses, and even covered wagons. Of first-time campers, 28% said that they started their camping experiences in some type of glamping or unique accommodation (compared to only 11% of experienced campers, and 14% of first-time campers in 2019). Additionally, close to half of first-time campers said that they had a glamping type of experience for the first time in 2020 (up from 3-in-10 in 2019). Among those, 3% use unique accommodations (other than cabins) such as yurts, treehouses, teepees, and glamping tents as their primary camping accommodation. Overall, it is estimated that about 4.7 million of the additional camping households in 2020 can be accounted for by at least some level of exposure to glamping. N e w C a m p e r H o u s e h o l d s w i t h E x p o s u r e t o G l a m p i n g ( 2 0 1 9 a n d 2 0 2 0 ) Who are These First-Time 2020 Campers? The first-time camper in 2020 is diverse and young. Here's what else we know about them: • Nearly 60% are under the age of 40. • 6-in-10 are from non-white groups. • One-fourth are Black. • 41% have a household income of $100,000 or more. • Three-fourths are households with children. • 6-in-10 purchased some type of camping gear for their first camping trip. • Two-thirds stayed at campgrounds with at least some amenities and services.

• Cover