South Florida resorts are at high occupancy and north Florida resorts are gearing up to welcome RVers from all over the country during the spring and summer seasons, said Bobby Cornwell, president and CEO of the Alabama and Florida Associations of RV Parks and Campgrounds.
“Our members are reporting strong demand and reservations for this coming spring and summer seasons,” Cornwell said. “RVing has always been considered the most flexible form of vacationing, allowing families to tailor their entire vacation experience from beginning to end. It is, obviously, also a very safe form of vacation since you are protected by your own home on wheels.”
“We are 100 percent full for the coming spring and summer season,” said Pat O’Neill, owner of Camp Gulf RV Resort in Miramar Beach, Fla. “In fact, come April 1, we start taking reservations for the 2021 season, and as always I expect our beach front lots to get booked within minutes a year ahead of occupancy. The beauty of vacationing in an RV park is that while you have others staying in lots next to you, it is up to you to decide how involved and engaged or how close you get to others, as opposed to sitting on a plane or a crowded theme park or hotel.”
Amir Harpaz, an association board member, recently traveled in his RV with his wife and three kids from Key West to the Florida Panhandle, visiting member parks and talking to their guests. Along the way, he spoke with Mike and Wendy Crate, who travel the country in a 45-foot Prevost with their two young kids who are in second and fourth grade. When asked if their vacation plans have changed due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Crates responded: “Our summer plans often include a trip out of the country involving long hours of travel at crowed airports. In light of the travel restrictions and potential dangers associated with the coronavirus, our family is so happy we decided to plan an RV adventure this summer instead.”
“Our business is up over last year at this time, and reservations for the coming months are strong,” said Thomas Sparrow, owner of Auburn RV Park in Auburn, Ala. “Unlike some other travel and vacation accommodations, we have not seen a decline. It’s been the opposite. We are not sure if the increase is a direct result of the coronavirus, but many of our RVers and campers have expressed they are happy to be traveling and living in the safety of their own RV.”
