Online reservation software company RMS North America has just released its 2023 State of the Industry Report, providing an in-depth look at millennial and Gen Z camping (and RVing) behavior and examining how the younger generations will shape the industry for decades to come.
Highlights of the findings include:
- 85% of survey respondents indicated they’d like to see more technology at campgrounds.
- Only 16% of respondents identified camping for the first time within the past three years. A majority had camped previously throughout their life and planned to continue.
- Glamping is the most popular type of camping (36%), followed by tent camping (35%), with millennials preferring tent camping and Gen Z glamping.
- Millennials and Gen Z both take a tech-centered approach to booking a campsite and communicating with staff, with a direct booking reservation on the campground website being the most popular method (63%).
Regarding technology, “When asked if they wanted to see more technology at campgrounds, 85% of participants said yes. But there’s a catch. Responses were divided over how much technology to incorporate.
“About half of the participants favored integrating a high amount of tech, including digital amenities like WiFi and Augmented Reality (AR) experiences. But the remaining tech-positive responses (34.8%) leaned toward slightly less technology, focusing mainly on business operations such as contactless payments, online booking, etc.
“When divided by generation, Gen Zs were more likely to favor some technology, and Millennials were more likely to prefer integrating no technology.”
The full report can be found here.