Enthusiasm for Camping, Outdoor Recreation Remains Strong as Canadian Campers Head Outdoors and “Unplug” from Technology

Outlook for 2017 Camping Season Positive as Campers Report Strong
Intentions to Visit Provincial Parks

BILLINGS, Mont.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#KOACamping–More than 75 percent of Canadian campers plan to visit provincial parks
this year and the number of active campers in North America continues to
grow rapidly, according to the 2017
North American Camping Report
, an annual independent study supported
by Kampgrounds
of America, Inc.
(KOA).

“With camping incidence among Canadian continuing to rise and programs
like the Discovery Pass helping to make the outdoors even more
accessible, the outlook for the 2017 camping season is encouraging,”
said KOA Chief Operations Officer Toby O’Rourke. “With the desire for
outdoor experiences growing stronger by the day, Canada’s unique
destinations and rugged landscapes hold strong appeal for outdoor
enthusiasts and leisure campers alike.”

Canadian camping patterns remaining relatively stable to activity seen
in 2016 with few changes in reported number of trips taken, planned
trips or where they plan to stay this year. Additional Canadian
highlights from the 2017 North American Camping Report include:

Nature is Calling, and Canadians are Answering

  • The most preferred recreation activity among Canadian campers is
    hiking (52 percent), followed by fishing (39 percent).
  • Consistently, about one-third of Canadian campers report that they
    intend to visit backcountry or wilderness areas.
  • Canadians are most likely to camp in tents (60 percent), followed by
    RVs (22 percent) and cabins (16 percent).

Taking a Break from Tech

  • Canadian campers continue to use and rely less on technology compared
    to U.S. campers, suggesting that they are using the outdoors as a way
    to truly “unplug” from technology.
  • Canadian campers are significantly more likely than U.S. campers to
    say that technology detracts from their camping experiences (50
    percent versus 38 percent).
  • More than one-fourth of Canadian campers state that they never go
    online while camping compared to 16 percent of U.S. campers.
  • They are also less likely to expect free Wi-Fi at a campground or to
    be influenced by the presence of free Wi-Fi than their U.S.
    counterparts (25 percent vs. 37 percent, respectively)

2017 Season Forecast: Canadians Will Continue to Get Outside

  • More than half (57 percent) state that they did not change their
    camping this past year, or intend to do so in 2017 (50 percent).
  • Campground location is important to Canadian campers who are more
    likely to be destination campers than U.S. campers, staying at a
    single location for a greater number of days, and less likely to stay
    at multiple locations during a trip.
  • Trips are more likely to include weekend getaways (52 percent) or
    visits to friends and relatives (37 percent).

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

U.S. and Canadian Household Results: This survey was conducted by
Cairn Consulting Group, an independent market research firm with
extensive experience in the hospitality and services industries. The
survey was conducted in January 2017. The sampling methodology targeted
a randomly selected sample of U.S. and Canadian households. Sampling was
designed to obtain n=2,426 completed survey among representative U.S.
households and n=508 completed surveys among representative Canadian
households. A sample of n=2,426 U.S. households is associated with a
margin of error of +/- 1.99 percent. Among Canadian households, a sample
of n=508 is associated with a margin of error of +/- 4.37 percent.

All surveys were completed online via an outbound solicitation sent
by Survey Sampling International to a randomly selected cross-section of
U.S. and Canadian households. The sample of households from which the
surveys were completed was statistically balanced to ensure that the
results are in line with overall population figures for age, gender and
ethnicity.

ABOUT KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA

For more than 55 years, Kampgrounds
of America
(KOA), the world’s largest system of open-to-the-public
family campgrounds, has provided millions of campers with fun, memorable
adventures. KOA was born in 1962 when founder Dave Drum constructed a
campground on the banks of the Yellowstone River in Billings, Mont.
Since then, KOA has grown to more than 500 locations in the U.S. and
Canada. KOA’s family of properties offers diverse camping experiences,
while maintaining the excellent standards and family-friendly atmosphere
the company is known for.

ABOUT CAIRN CONSULTING GROUP

Cairn Consulting Group is a market research firm with extensive
experience in the hospitality and services industries. For the past
several years, Cairn Consulting Group has worked with organizations in
both indoor and outdoor hospitality, including the gaming/casino areas,
food services/restaurant space, accommodations, travel/tourism and the
products and services that are a part of the hospitality industry. The
organization also serves clients in branding/brand positioning efforts,
evaluating consumer behavior, public opinion & policy and product
development.

Contacts

Kampgrounds of America Inc.
Mike Gast, 406-254-7409
Vice
President of Communications
mgastkoa@gmail.com

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