The 2021 Fourth of July holiday results at Kampgrounds of America (KOA) showed an increase in occupancy of more than 17 percent from 2020, the company reported. Even more notable, it added, is that when compared to KOA’s record 2019, check-ins for the KOA system were up more than 36 percent.
“Last year, the Fourth of July and Canada Day holidays really solidified a turning point for camping coming off of widespread stay-at-home orders in the spring,” said KOA President and CEO Toby O’Rourke. “This year, the trend of people wanting to be outdoors, and camp is continuing to climb. It is indicative of the continued growth we anticipate in our business and the camping industry for the foreseeable future.”
Looking forward, advanced deposits for the KOA system are up 66 percent over this same time period in 2020, when KOA experienced its best fall on record. Between early September and the end of December 2020, registration revenues were up more than 25 percent versus 2019.
Year to date, KOA’s short-term nights are up nearly 60 percent over 2020. Compared to 2019, a record year after nine consecutive years of growth, the KOA system reports a 17.3 percent growth in short-term camper nights.