RV Parks and Campgrounds
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 4,270 RV parks and campgrounds in the US provide sites to accommodate campers and camping equipment, including tents and trailers. Major revenue categories include fees for RV and tent sites and room or unit accommodations. Other sources of revenue include meals, snacks, and beverages; membership fees and dues; other rental fees; and groceries.
Seasonality
Business can be highly seasonal, depending on market-specific dynamics and weather conditions.
Dependence On RV Ownership
RV ownership trends can affect demand for stays in RV parks.
Industry size & Structure
The average RV park and campground company operates out of a single location, employs 5-6 workers, and generates about $1-2 million annually.
- The RV park and campground industry consists of about 4,270 firms that operate 4,600 establishments, employ about 23,850 workers and generate about $7.9 billion annually.
- The industry is fragmented; the top 50 companies account for 27% of industry revenue.
- The industry includes chains, franchises, and independent operators.
- Commercial parks and campgrounds are privately-owned. Public facilities are owned by government entities, such as the National Park Service and USDA National Forest Services.
- Large companies include KOA (Kampgrounds of America) and Thousand Trails.
Industry Forecast
RV Parks and Campgrounds Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Apr 5, 2024 - Payroll Costs Jumped in 2023
- Highly-cyclical employment by RV parks and recreational camps grew 21.2% in December compared to a year ago after rising 8.3% in the previous annual comparison, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, average industry wages climbed to a new high of $20.14 per hour in December, a 9.3% year-over-year change, BLS data show. Growing enthusiasm among Americans for travel and outdoor recreational activities coupled with rising consumer spending are driving employment and revenue growth in the industry.
- Capitalizing on the growing popularity of “glamping,” RV-rental platform Outdoorsy is looking to invest more than $700 million into the ballooning business, Jeff Cavins, CEO of Outdoorsy, told Business Insider in March. Outdoorsy, which is growing its portfolio of luxury tent-camping sites, opened its third location in the Texas Hill Country in March where rates start at $350 per night. Outdoorsy plans to open as many as 17 more glamping locations in the next three years, the company told Business Insider. Interest in the glamping niche of the campground industry has increased in recent years. In its North American Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report 2023, Kampgrounds of America (aka KOA) called the glamping industry an "aggressive growth segment," with four in 10 campers expressing interest in glamping that year. Camp Margaritaville RV Resort and other luxury RV parks operators also are growing their glamping accommodations.
- A bill that would improve access to recreation on federal public lands and waters and expand outdoor recreation opportunities, was passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee by unanimous consent in January, the RV Industry Association (RVIA) reports. The bipartisan Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act is a companion bill to similar legislation passed in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last year, America’s Outdoor Recreation Act (AORA). The House bill (H.R. 6492) would: modernize permit streamlining to ease burdens on outfitters and guides and improve access to outdoor experiences; improve access to recreation on public lands and waters; ensure access to green spaces in underserved communities; develop, improve, and complete long-range trails; and invest in rural economic development. The legislation is supported by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, which promotes the $1 trillion outdoor recreation industry.
- RV parks and campgrounds that have struggled to hire enough temporary workers during peak travel seasons will get some relief this year from the US Department of Homeland Security, according to the US Travel Association. In a November press release, DHS announced it expects to make an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas available for fiscal year 2024, on top of the congressionally mandated 66,000 H-2B visas that are available each fiscal year. The additional H-2B visas represent the maximum permitted under the September 2023 Fiscal Year 2024 Continuing Resolution, according to the department. Workers from Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras can expect an allocation of 20,000 visas.
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