PPB March 2020

by Audrey Sellers Into The Wild (Sort Of) Want to reach the 78 million Americans who go camping? Here’s how to take your promotions through the (canvas) roof. T here’s great allure in the great outdoors—and people are increasingly heading out to explore it. There are 78.8 million camping households in the U.S.—an all-time high, according to the 2019 North American Camping Report fromKampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA). In the past five years, more than 7.2 million U.S. households have started camping, withmost people camping as often as three times per year. More than one million new households started camping in 2018 alone. This upward trend stems largely from an influx of younger and more diverse campers. More than half of campers (56 percent) are Millennials. As they have children, they’re eager to take their families camping, with 63 percent of Millennial parents saying they camp more than seven nights per year with their kids. Even teen campers look forward to the time away, with 96 percent saying they enjoy camping with family and friends. Campers are also becoming more ethnically diverse, with non-white groups accounting for 51 percent of all campers. Since KOA began measuring campers’ ethnic mixes in 2012, the percentage of non-white camping households has grown from 12 percent to 29 percent. Nomatter their age or ethnic background, all campers share a common bond: They love the outdoors. One in three campers profess they are lifelong campers—and they’re excited to share their enthusiasmwith others. Nearly half (48 percent) of new campers say that other people got them interested in camping. First-time campers will find a low barrier to entry for enjoying the great outdoors. According to the American Camper Report fromThe Coleman Company and The Outdoor Foundation, 47 percent of new Camps And RV Resorts GROW 44 | MARCH 2020 |