The camping availability platform, The Dyrt, reported the finding from its recent survey that 50 percent of private camping properties added campsites in 2023 in response to continued demand from the booming camping industry.
The Dyrt’s statistics are from its newly released 2024 Camping Report presented by The All-New Toyota Tacoma.
Property managers across all 50 states were surveyed to gather information for the report. The addition of new campsites was reportedly spurred, in part, by results from the previous year’s report, when 58.4 percent of campers noted difficulty booking a site because a campground was sold out. That number decreased to 45.5 percent last year.
“The current state of camping in America would have been inconceivable just five years ago, back when only the most competitive of campgrounds were booked up all summer,” said The Dyrt’s CEO, Kevin Long. “When the pandemic hit, camping became a bigger part of people’s lives. It hasn’t let up, and properties are responding to the demand.”
The Dirt said more than one-third, 34.7 percent, of the properties surveyed expanded an existing camping type in 2023. The top two types for expansion were RV sites at 26.2 percent and Glamping at 22.1 percent. Also, 46.9 percent of properties added a new type of campsite, with Glamping leading at 10 percent.
“We expanded last year and again this year,” said Tim Murphy, founder of Emberglow Outdoor Resort in Mill Spring, NC. “Last year, we added a 30-foot yurt, a safari tent and seven RV sites. After seeing the success of the new additions, we decided to add 12 more RV sites for the 2024 season. We are responding to the feedback that people loved our Outdoor Resort, but it was difficult to find availability. Having more sites also allows us to do more in the way of events, on-site music and amenities for all to enjoy.”
In addition to adding new sites, 25.5 percent of camping properties expanded their calendars, offering more dates for campers to book. Fall was the most common season for properties to expand their available dates, followed by winter, an increasingly popular time to camp.
Image courtesy The Dyrt
