In part one we covered the top two concerns that campers have about their experience over the 2022 camping season. Here we’ll cover the remaining issues that were surfaced in our survey with responses from over 1600 campers across North America.
Not Enough Information
When campers are choosing a new campground the information that you provide can help set expectations for a great experience. Many campers commented about the joy of finding and exploring campgrounds they didn’t know existed until now. Although they may not have taken a risk on these new campgrounds if they didn’t have enticing photos or information about what was available.
Photos
Specifically, the number one comment in our survey and the top piece of feedback that we get is about photos. Campers really want to see high-quality, up-to-date images of each individual site and campground amenity. This is by far the most helpful item you can add to help people book at your campground. If you are not photo savvy, we recommend hiring a photographer to come out to your campground to showcase it at its best.
If you want to take showcasing your campground to the next level, a number of companies will come to your campground and create a virtual tour. Think of it like walking through your campground but from the comfort of your own home. Many campers asked for something similar when looking for new campgrounds to visit.
“I love being able to reserve online, it’s easy and in particular campsites that let you view pictures of the sites. Since I’m new to camping, I’m starting to learn the pros and cons to great camping! We learned how important a level campsite is haha And how wonderful full service is :)”
Reviews
The second most frequent request from campers when wanting more information about campgrounds was to have the ability to read and leave reviews. This helps increase trust when making bookings and campers don’t want to take a risk when the camping season is so short. For campground owners, asking campers to leave a review on your google business profile is likely the best way. Let’s Camp even allows you to add a direct link so that it is just one click for campers to leave their feedback.
“I love websites that have pictures of the site and reviews of what it’s really like.”
Accurate Site Descriptions
Using online booking software is an easy way to get both of these top camper priorities solved. It allows campers to find your campground, see your campground map and site photos all in one place. If campgrounds only offer phone bookings the camper would have to know the name of the campground, find the phone number and then call and discuss site options. Online booking allows campers to go at their own pace, pay securely online and access the information at any time online.
However, using online booking software isn’t going to give campers all the info they need to make a decision. Campers are still looking for detailed site descriptions and descriptions of the campground. Great things to include are your amenities, fire ban information, services like electrical and water, whether the sites are level and how much tree coverage they have. Good online software will also help campers filter for this information so they can tell what is available at a glance.
Advice and Email Reminders
Two areas of information that may be less thought of are camping advice and email reminders. Those new to your campground mentioned wanting general camping advice and specifics on what they will need to bring and expect when arriving. This is an easy way to help build trust with campers. In our survey, campers also mentioned enjoying receiving reminder emails as it increased their anticipation and also allowed them to update their dates if their plans had changed.
When it comes to the layout of your campground there are a few things to keep in mind. While we understand that it is tough to make changes now you might consider these when developing new sites or doing renovations.
Campground Layout
When it comes to the layout of your campground there are a few things to keep in mind. While we understand that it is tough to make changes now you might consider these when developing new sites or doing renovations.
Accessibility
First and foremost you should consider accessibility. Campers filling out our survey and identifying as requiring accessibility options commented that they would like to see more paved or gravel sites, accessible washrooms and beach access as applicable. You should also check with your local regulating authorities as to what additional requirements they may have in place.
“Not being able to bring our boat as I cannot pull or back in a trailer to park the truck and trailer and there is no handicap accessible parking for him to access. He can walk on his crutches but the distance from the trailer parking to the boat launch is about 3 city blocks and is pretty unacceptable in terms of accessibility.”
Privacy & Noise
Lastly, amongst all types of campers, more trees and privacy was a priority. Campers want more separation between potential noisy neighbours and additional trees for visual separation and shade. Campers also suggested having sections for adults and seniors only, families only and pets/no pets areas as well as quiet-no party campgrounds and campgrounds with no noise regulations. As you can see, there are a wide variety of desired camping accommodations, and it would be virtually impossible to please everyone at your campground.
“There is dog free areas, radio free areas…what about kid free areas…some parents don’t control their children and as seniors that is disruptive to our enjoyment of the park”
RV Size
RV’s are also constantly evolving and getting larger. Laying out your campsites so that they are easy to navigate and pull into will help alleviate stress with the check-in process. Also ensure that your booking system asks for RV length and only allows campers to book sites that will accommodate their rig.
Logistics
When it comes to the logistics of both booking and checking into a campground there are a few common concerns. Some campers like to use trip routing software if they plan a longer road trip where they are staying at multiple campgrounds. This also helps alleviate the problem of looking for sites at individual parks – potentially with multiple different booking platforms. When they arrive, campers dislike spending time in long check-in lines. A quick check-in process which is often facilitated by online bookings can help get their trip off to a great start. Plus they can be confident that their payment made to reserve the site is secure. While this may come with additional fees for booking often the additional benefits outweigh these costs.
Cancellation Policies
We’ll also mention campers gripe with cancellation policies here. While we understand why cancelation policies are in place to help protect the campgrounds revenue campers still sometimes find them unfair or too strict. Many of these comments had to do with the weather or natural events such as fire bans. Natural weather conditions like rain are should be expected while outdoors however, at what point is there too much rain or wind that it is unreasonable to expect people still go camping? Either way, having simple cancellation policies that are available to campers prior to booking is likely the best course of action.
“I originally booked a spot in BC but they put a fire ban in effect so had to cancel that plan. Since the ban came in to effect less then 2 weeks before hand, I lost all my money. So very bitter and also not likely to book in BC again”
The Booking Process Was Challenging
While most campers do enjoy online booking there are still some that are less computer literate and find the process challenging. We can’t blame them – there are some pretty complex booking systems out there that don’t take into consideration website accessibility or best practices for user interface design. Not to mention reservation websites also see a huge increase in traffic over very short periods of time. This can occasionally lead to the website being slow to respond or crashing. Of course, online booking won’t please everyone. There is still a select group of people who are against the new technology.
Social Connection
Many campers expressed the joys of social connection while camping. For many it is a chance to reduce their screen time, meet up with friends or family and enjoy the outdoors. Campers also expressed that meeting fellow campers was often a pleasant experience and that the friendly park staff added to their trip overall.
“Ease of booking and then meeting the camp hosts who were great folks.”
“Online makes it easy to coordinate camping trips with friends.”
Fire and Firewood Issues
Of course enjoying a campfire is often a huge part of the camping experience for many. So we understand when campers report being frustrated that they only find out that there is a fire ban when they arrive at the campground. Finding a reliable way to inform campers of fire bans ahead of time and offering propane fire pit rentals as needed would go quite a ways to improving this situation. Many campers also complained about the cost of fire wood for the quantity and quality received. Citing that it was often wet and unusable to build a fire with.
As with any industry over time the customers’ expectations change and adapt. With camping this has changed at an increased rate in the past couple of years. With new people trying camping for the first time having traditionally traveled using hotel accommodations this brings in new ideas and expectations. While campground owners can’t always implement every new suggestion, prioritizing improvements with the largest impact is likely your best plan.
One easy way to make a huge difference with how you take reservations is switching to a booking platform that offers free marketplace listings. This will help get your campground found by more campers and increase your revenue all while saving you time and headaches. That way you have the time to improve other areas of your business.
