Kampgrounds of America’s June Research Report examines how campers are using artificial intelligence tools and boosting all forms of travel
The Kampgrounds of America monthly research report for June indicates that campers are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) more quickly than other leisure travelers. Currently, 32% of campers share that they have used AI for trip planning, while another 22% plan to utilize it in the future. Comparatively, only 7% of non-campers have planned a trip with AI.
Campers who use AI for trip planning are most likely to rely on it for information gathering, such as seeking reviews (55%), trip research (53%), building an itinerary (48%), or compiling resources about destinations (36%). About one-fourth of campers utilize AI to find dining tips or even places to avoid.
“Campers are emerging as early adopters of AI technologies that make planning travel easier,” Whitney Scott, senior vice president of strategy at Kampgrounds of America, Inc. “We already know that campers are more enthusiastic about travel than other consumers. We’re seeing similar enthusiasm toward online tools that can assist them in planning better, or more, trips easily.”
While campers are more likely to apply AI, only about one-in-10 have used or plan to use AI for the entirety of their planning. This suggests that other resources or personal knowledge are still essential in creating itineraries. Additionally, with increased attention to drawbacks or concerns associated with AI, camper trust has dropped. Trust in AI among campers fell nearly 20 points, from 78% in May to 59% in June.
The report also found that campers are significantly more likely to participate in other forms of travel than non-campers. Over the past 12 months, and looking forward to the remainder of 2023, campers are boosting all travel participation significantly. Reinforcing this finding, more than 8.4 million camping households went camping and combined their camping trip with other forms of travel over Memorial Day alone.
“In addition to hotel and resort stays, even with air travel issues, campers are more likely to take both domestic and international trips,” Scott noted. “It’s important to recognize that this group isn’t just campers; they are fervent travelers critical to the overall travel sector.”
Additional findings of KOA’s June Report point to increased traffic over holidays and the larger summer season. Nearly 24.4 million households camped over Memorial Day, 2 million more than did so the year prior. Looking ahead to the 4th of July weekend, 22 million households are expected to spend the holiday camping. Most campers (about 90%) are planning a camping trip this summer.
KOA’s full June report is available here.
