Campsite booking platform Hipcamp announced the acquisition of BookOutdoors, an online travel booking platform for campgrounds, RV parks, cabins, and glamping resorts.
Hipcamp noted that according to the OHI Generational Camping Report, 65 percent of Millennials and Gen Z prefer to choose campsites with strong amenities. The 2024 KOA Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report states that over the past 10 years active campers have increased by 68 percent, adding an additional 21.6 million households that are searching for places to stay.
Hipcamp has seen this demand directly on their booking platform. In summer 2024, Hipcamp saw more than a 200 percent increase in searches for new places to camp and an 87 percent increase in searches for campgrounds offering amenities. Additionally, searches for wifi-equipped campgrounds are up 110 percent year over year. In the past year, Hipcampers have booked more than 3.3 million individual nights outside.
Hipcamp said the acquisition will help campers find what they’re looking for as well as increase revenue for campgrounds.
“Hipcamp is the largest and fastest growing community of campers in the world. In all our customer interviews and research, the top request—by far—from our campers is more places to camp. We’re so excited to be joining forces with BookOutdoors and its team of industry leaders to connect hundreds of amazing new campgrounds and RV parks with our community!,” said Alyssa Ravasio, founder and CEO of Hipcamp.
“We’re thrilled to be joining Hipcamp, and this acquisition is a great win for both our customers and the industry. As the outdoor travel space has grown, it’s become clear that having a single, trusted destination for booking outdoor stays benefits both guests and campground operators. By combining forces with Hipcamp, we’re creating more opportunities for campgrounds and making it even easier for travelers to find and book their ideal outdoor experience,” said Brian Nolan, co-founder and CEO of BookOutdoors.
