The Future of Campgrounds for 2021 and Beyond

Executive Q&A with KOAs Whitney Scott

The Future of Campgrounds for 2021 and Beyond

Executive Q&A with KOAs Whitney Scott

By Nathan Gawlik
Nathan Gawlik's experience includes being a General Manager of a Hampton Inn and other front line roles such as a Banquet Captain, Front Desk Agent, Housekeeper, Catering Event Manager, and Director of Sales.

Whitney Scott has worked in the marketing department of KOA for over seven years. Most recently she was promoted to Chief Marketing Officer. Whitney obtained her degree in Public Relations from Boston University in 2008. After college, she served in many different roles related to marketing, like Social Media Manager and Director of Marketing and Operations at a technology company, among others. Whitney Scott credits her career success across fashion, jewelry, governmental affairs, big data technology and, of course, camping to her ability to understand and utilize her tactical marketing ability. She says working for a company, like the KOA, that helps people get outdoors is a dream come true.

We are grateful that she took the time to share her insights with us. Scott sat down with me via Zoom in February 2021.

Would you say there are challenges that are unique to campgrounds over other accommodation providers?

It's definitely a unique hospitality space. Consider a hotel or an airline, for example. There are different types of accommodation: you have your suite, or you have a certain seat. Really, at the end of the day, most of your guests can still stay, or sit, in any of those types of accommodation.

But when you're looking at a campground, site optimization is far more complicated. There are significant limitations based on what type of camping gear you have that define what type of place you can go to at a campground. So if you have a tent, you really can't use a cabin, or an RV space. And if you have an RV, you aren't going to fit on a tent site. There are further restrictions based on power and water needs or site length and size that can be a real headache for campground managers.

Oftentimes, your RV determines where you can go; the length, the hookups, even the slide-outs have to be taken into account. There are a lot of factors that minimize your options. So while a lot of people may think managing a campground is simple, it's far more complex than people think. You can't move people around like you would with other hospitality businesses.

Is this a common issue?

Yeah, it happens all the time. One of my favorite stories is about this camper up in Lake Placid. He was so angry because one of his slide-outs, extended and hit a tree. And he said, "I've been coming here for 30 years on the same site. You just planted that tree." Of course, this tree is decades old at this point. Whether he pulled up too far or too short, or maybe he forgot what site he always stays at or what, I'm not sure but it's a very common issue, especially today. RVs have more slide-outs, more than they ever used to have.

I've heard you say before that camping is more recession-proof. Can you elaborate on that?

We have seen that in this recession and the last recession of 2008, while very different types of recessions, many people see camping as an economical alternative. We have definitely come through recessions a little stronger than other hospitality companies. Traditionally, camping does well or even better during a recession, especially when you already have the gear. Tent campers get really cheap sites, they can bring their own food and save even more money. And really, the great outdoors is your playground. We saw just this last year that 26 percent of our campers were new campers, so we know that the barriers to purchase a camping trip are really low. 2020 saw a rather large financial investment as a whole and camping was seen as a safer form of travel amidst the pandemic.

I think sometimes people view camping like they view the great american road trip – as this big extensive and expensive trip halfway across the U.S. or Canada, but the reality is that it is often a staycation. 70 percent of campers actually camped within 150 miles of their homes in 2020. Camping is an easy way for you to just jump into your own backyard and reunite with the outdoor spaces that are so close to you.

Even when times are tight for families, people can still afford to go camping and it's worth it to spend time with friends and family. I think there is an economic advantage campgrounds have and they lend themselves to feeling homier than other hospitality businesses.

KOA 2020 North American Camping Report: Covid-19 Special Report

What advice would you give campgrounds in 2021 as we head into spring and summer?

The first piece of advice is to understand that we aren't out of the woods yet when it comes to a health crisis perspective. Definitely maintain and stay abreast to the regulations in your state or given area. I think the more people get tired - or used to - what's going on, sometimes they start to relax their standards.

The other thing from a campground perspective would be to really harness the momentum of 2020. Like I said, 26 percent of campers last year were new campers, which is a huge jump from the 2-3 percent increase we typically see annually. There is a lot of potential out there and what we know is that campers tend to stick to their ways. Once they like a spot or they like a campground, it can be hard to get them to stay somewhere else. So really harness your ability to grab new campers. You have a lot of people who just bought RVs, that just bought tents and they want to use their new stuff. Find campers and help them have a great time. That first impression is really important.

About 5 years ago, we saw people taking just one camping trip a year, but our most recent data shows that people are taking 3 or more camping trips a year. I think it has a lot to do with our Net Promoter Score (NPS) and that experiential piece. So if you can give people a great experience, especially if they are new campers, hopefully, that will solidify the relationship between your campground and that camper. KOA as a whole actually saw their NPS increase in 2020 one full percentage point which is a huge success.

Just a quick aside, the Net Promoter Score is the gold standard of customer experience metrics and is basically the likelihood of a customer to recommend your product or service to a friend or colleague.

Some studies I've seen are suggesting that people are staying longer at hotels. However, they are also taking fewer trips due to the pandemic. It sounds as though you are seeing the opposite at campgrounds?

That's right. Since 2014 the percentage of campers who camp three or more times annually has increased by 72 percent, according to a 2019 study.

I would say though that over this last year, we are seeing that resurgence. This could be a COVID-19 related trend because the opportunity that people have to work from home or go to school from home. The question is, does it give people the opportunity to take a longer vacation or to go on a working road trip more often? And people are choosing camping as a result, we don't know but that isn't out of the question.

Along those same lines, how have guests' expectations changed since the pandemic?

I would say the need for private bathrooms has certainly been highlighted among our most recent findings in our 2020 fall report. 42 percent of leisure travelers said that having a private bathroom is really important.

Another trend we are seeing surrounding technology is WiFi. WiFi has become more and more important at campgrounds. We have seen this for years and it has only been accelerated by the pandemic. This compounded in importance because we are seeing a lot of new guests coming in and traditionally people were introduced to camping by other campers, family members or friends that would bring people camping. But today we are seeing more people coming into camping themselves with no reference for what to expect.

Their expectations might be a little different whether from service orientation or they aren't really aware of basic campground etiquette. And that's okay. I think we as an industry just need to understand that we have some new cultures coming into our campgrounds. If they don't understand that culture, they might not feel welcomed. It's really an opportunity for campgrounds to stand out as a service organization and teach newcomers the rules of the road.

KOA 2020 North American Camping Report: Covid-19 Special Report

Do you have any resources for camping etiquette?

Yeah, especially this last year, we have gotten a lot of feedback from our campgrounds that there are just a lot of people that don't know some of the basics. From fire safety to noise control to things that many might think are very simple like if a site is occupied, don't walk through it. But if you aren't used to campgrounds you might not realize that is considered a faux pas.

KOA Guide to Camping Etiquette

KOA 7 Tips to Perfect Camping Etiquette

Why should people go camping right now? What benefits does it have over other travel options?

We always looked at why people are going camping and the benefits of getting outdoors, and that has only increased over this past year. People are putting high value on being able to get outdoors, whether that is just from a safety perspective or people being stuck inside has just highlighted how important the outside is. I think we as humans find camping as an easy way to connect with the outdoors and the world around us.

But most of all, it's a way for us to connect with each other. So even though all KOA campgrounds have WiFi, we have so much anecdotal and statistical evidence to suggest how important camping is to connect with others. We see these connections happen around the fire, while making dinner, and even while putting up the tent or having the tent blow away. Those stories are a foundational element of who we really are and how we connect as family and friends.

In the original 2019 camping report, we actually surveyed teenagers. What was surprising was that teenagers love camping because of just how much their parents relax. So while parents might see it as a way to get their kids outdoors and engaged, it was very interesting to see actually that's what the kids wanted too. Especially for such a hard group to connect with – teenagers.

KOA has done their homework. Each year the KOA releases the North American Camping Report. In their 2019 5 year trends report they found 96 percent of teens say they enjoy camping and 94 percent say they see the value in spending time outdoors. Why do teens love camping so much? One of the biggest contributing factors is that 97 percent agree that camping helps their parents relax.

How is new technology affecting the campground industry? What are the top amenities for the future? Is WiFi becoming a must-have to cater to digital nomads? Are you seeing nomading at your sites?

Technology should be used to enhance the outdoor experience, but not take over. You don't want it to overwhelm the benefits of getting outdoors because then you are losing that connection to nature. But what we've found is that when guests have access to their email via WiFi, they stay longer. So potentially being able to connect allows them to disconnect, which is an interesting juxtaposition. So I think WiFi will be an essential piece going forward, especially as more and more workforces grow and learn to be remote. I think we will see it become more commonplace to have people take a month on the road or something like that.

The campgrounds people choose will have to be able to accommodate that nomadic lifestyle. All of our brand positioned properties, meaning KOA Journey's, KOA Holidays and KOA Resorts are required to have WiFi. I was down in Texas in January and one of the open air pavilions had individual picnic tables where five families were set up for their home schooling. So the kids had the high speed internet they needed to complete their zoom connected schooling. It was certainly interesting to see kids from all over the United States going to school.

It's really interesting to see how other forms of technology can help facilitate camping. Take text messaging services, for example, that you can find at some KOA campgrounds. This has enabled many of our perspective campers to have a one-on-one conversation with the front desk. The benefits are huge. Guests are easily able to request a stay extention or the front desk can let guests know the restaurant is open. Texting and other technology is helping to facilitate guest knowledge and offering them incentives to go to the store or restaurant or even extend their stay.

In addition to that, we have a project called Camp the Future. It's an innovative project that looks at how campgrounds can evolve to serve future generations. Some of the ideas that have come out of that project are things like campground concierge or potentially delivery drones and much more. So I think there are opportunities to integrate technology to further the guest experience.

Campthefuture.com

How should campgrounds market to their customers? I would imagine the messaging around cleaning standards aren't as important for people that bring their own tent or RV? What marketing tactics have you found to be successful?

From a KOA perspective, we definitely want properties to have the ability to share their COVID policies because the requirements from state to state are so different. I think anymore, customers are used to some sort of banner or other messaging online, especially for a physical location. It's so prevalent that it almost seems if there's not one, customers might feel unsafe visiting the establishment. We definitely encourage our properties to have that messaging visible.

Aside from that, being a digital marketer, I would stress the importance of having a good digital presence. A great website, easy to find, updated regularly, and mobile friendly are huge today. We know that over 50% of our traffic is from mobile devices. So if your website isn't mobile friendly, most likely your customers aren't having a great experience.

In addition to that, having great photos is definitely important. We know that the website and photographs are the number one and number two reasons why people choose a camping location. If you haven't had a professional photoshoot, you're leaving money on the table. While it can seem like a higher upfront cost, it will pay itself off if you have a quality site that can showcase those photos.

Aside from great photos and a great mobile website, I think the most underutilized tactic I've seen is email marketing. So if you have a rich database or a great NPS and you aren't communicating with your customers regularly you are probably leaving money on the table again. From an ancillary sales standpoint, having a text messaging service, whether it be from a reservation software or a third party, is important as well. We have seen some campgrounds rake in an additional fifty to one-hundred thousand dollars annually by utilizing extend-your-stay promotions and other ancillary sales call outs.

That's incredible. So you have properties that are creating more revenue just by those specific asks that are coming through mobile friendly channels to extend those offers to current customers?

Exactly

Fascinating. I'm curious if you have any retail specific advice. Are there items you would suggest sell better than others?

It is certainly worth it to have a store at your campground. A store is required at all of our KOA properties. What we know is that people definitely forget things so a store is a worthwhile service for guests.

Top sellers are firewood, ice, propane, s'more kits and things like that. Roller roasters are a good item to carry too. There are definitely campers that are okay using a stick and there are those that do not want to use a natural stick. Plus, if you don't want people snapping off sticks in your campground, then you'll want to offer roller roasters or other utensils for guests to make s'mores.

Another item we see that sells well is sweatshirts. People forget that dressing in layers is important while camping. People often realize that even in the summer months in your northern states, it gets a little chilly at night. So especially across those northern campgrounds, sweatshirts sell really well.

But ultimately, the store is as important as what is being sold. Presentation when merchandising is super important.

We are seeing a trend of more and more unique stays across the industry. Are unique stays becoming more popular? Glamping, Yurts, Treehouses, Teepees, Tiny Homes and other unique accommodations?

Great question. KOA definitely has glamping options across the system. Our number one glambing option is our deluxe cabins, which is pretty much like a tiny home. It's got a kitchen, bedding, bathroom, a tv, etc. We have definitely been watching the ramping trend in an effort to help offer our campers those unique accommodations. Some of our properties offer airstreams, others have treehouses, wagons, and yurts.

The great thing about glamping at a KOA is you still have great amenities like a pool and other forms of recreation. Plus, having this other inventory makes us a great option for groups. So if someone has an RV but someone else doesn't, maybe one of them uses one of the cabins or caboose options we have available so you can still be close to your RVing family or friend.

We are leaning into the glamping trend more and more. Our website ranks for certain glamping keywords, which is great from a digital marketing standpoint, and from an organic search perspective, as you know. We definitely have glamping related prospects. There are people that want glamping and people that want camping. It's great that our properties can offer both.

Getting back to that group comment I made, the great thing about the KOAs is our communal spaces are outdoors. So we have what we call a KOA Patio, which is a personal space and each is 250 square feet minimum so they really lend themselves well to being a safe group environment at your site. Being that they are outdoors, you can naturally social distance and still be with your group.

That's fantastic. Would you say there are other amenities that seem to be really popular right now?

Self serve is really trending right now. Pools are a great amenity that campers have traditionally liked. We have seen over the last few years the rise of pickleball and bocce ball becoming a trend as a popular recreation option. We also have some campgrounds that have some really cool ropes courses and ziplines. Those are really fun for families.

I would say, too, a trend we have leaned into more is the every-age playground, which is what we call a pocket park. These pocket parks are meant to serve as connector areas. It's much more an all-age playground. They may have bocce ball or communal seating areas, like hammocks; these aren't meant to be age restrictive.

And we've seen some of that go into capital development for pools. A property might have a splash pad for little ones but then you have in-pool seating for adults. So I think the question is how do you make your activities more inviting to all ages, rather than just a certain demographic. Camp the Future has some great examples of those pocket parks.

We would like to thank Whitney Scott, Cheif Marketing Officer at KOA for speaking with us for this article.

Resources

CampTheFuture.com
KOA | North American Camping Report 2019
KOA | North American Camping and the Effect of COVID-19
Qualtrics | NPS Defined
KOA Guide to Camping Etiquette
KOA 7 Tips to Perfect Camping Etiquette

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