You are here

Survey Says: Camping Trips No. 1 Choice Of Cost-Cutting Families

Share

Cost-conscious families are taking camping vacations, according to a new survey.

Perhaps the recent spurts in visitation to national parks can indeed be traced to the economy. A just-released survey says camping is the No. 1 vacation choice among families looking to cut costs on their summer vacations.

“Aside from wanting to save money, families are increasingly showing a desire to enjoy the simple pleasures of the great outdoors”, says George Van Horn, a senior analyst at IBISWorld, which bills itself as "the nation’s most trusted independent source of industry and market research."

"With camping being the No. 1 outdoor vacation activity, and with over 14,000 government and commercial campground and RV parks, families have an excess of destinations to choose from,” he adds.

According to IBISWorld, a nine-day camping vacation, one in which you camp and drive your own car, costs a family of four $1,425 on average. If you take your car and rent a pop-up trailer for camping, the average costs rises to $2,176. "Type C" RV vacations are the third-most expensive summer vacation, with a nine-day trek costing $3,576, on average, the firm says. Rounding out the top five are vacations in which you drive but stay in a hotel ($3,590, on average, for nine days), and those in which you fly, rent a car, and then stay in a hotel ($5,176).

"Although RV sales have expectedly gone down this year (to 155,000 – from a peak of 390,500 units in 2006), the RV rental and lease market, on the other hand, has gone up," notes IBISWorld. "The $2.14 billion dollar sector has increased by 3.3 percent this year. With a growing number of franchised resort-type campgrounds sprouting across the nation, roughing it in the wilderness does not necessarily entail getting down and dirty. Operators of camping chains have been upgrading their facilities and amenities, such as introducing wireless Internet access, health and fitness centers, playgrounds, and even restaurants and cafes."

“Camping appeals to families of all income levels”, points out Mr. Van Horn. “Whether it’s boating, fishing, or soaking in some fresh air with your laptop at hand, modernized campgrounds can accommodate just about every need”.

Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.