Despite the plethora of challenges that faced outdoor enthusiasts this spring-from record rain and flooding to tornados-campers still visited Kampgrounds of America (KOA) campgrounds in record numbers to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Total KOA camper check-ins on Friday, July 1st reached 21,092, up 3.4 percent from the previous single-day record set on Friday, July 2, 2010 at the 475 KOA campgrounds in North America.
When you put current economic challenges together with the terrible weather weve all experienced this spring, I think our strong results for this Fourth of July weekend bodes well for healthy camping activity for the rest of this summer, said KOA President Pat Hittmeier.
A month ago, our advanced reservations for the holiday weekend indicated we were down about 2.7 percent from last year, Hittmeier said. A large number of campers delayed making their plans until the week before the Fourth of July weekend. But – in the end – they decided to spend their holiday weekend at a KOA.
With 35 KOA campgrounds in Canada, the annual July 1st Canada Day celebration is also an important holiday for the Kampgrounds of America system. KOA camper check-ins at Canadian KOAs for the July 1st Canada Day holiday weekend were up 13 percent compared to 2010 results.
The accommodations category-which includes KOAs full-service luxury Lodges-continued to be a bright spot during the July Fourth weekend. Camper registrations for KOA Kabins and Lodges grew more than 23 percent over 2010 Fourth of July results.
Our advanced reservations for the rest of the summer season are also trending in the right direction, said Hittmeier. Strong results like we experienced last weekend prove that camping is still one of the most popular and affordable vacation options. We are the largest campground network in North America, so KOA serves as a good barometer for the camping sector of outdoor recreation.
Kampgrounds of America was founded on the banks of the Yellowstone River in Billings, Montana more than 49 years ago. KOA has 475 locations in the United States and Canada with more than 70,000 sites for recreational vehicles and tents, as well as roofed accommodations. For more information on Kampgrounds of America, go to www.KOA.com.
