More Than 25 Million Households Plan To Camp Over Labor Day Holiday

The KOA Monthly Research Report – August Edition indicates that just over 25 million households plan to camp over the Labor/Labour Day Holiday. The weekend is set to kick off a healthy fall camping season with campers sharing an interest in increasing their camping trips. Continuing the healthy camping demand predicted in Kampgrounds of America, Inc’s annual North American Camping Report released in April, the report predicts a strong shoulder season.

Observing the camping audience as a whole, 58% say they plan to camp over the Labor/Labour Day holiday. While most (30%) share that they only plan to camp for the long weekend, an impressive 42% of campers indicate they will extend their holiday. Of this group, 22% expect to camp the entire week before or after Labor/Labour Day, while a similar number (21%) will likely add a few extra days to their trip.

“Labor Day is looking to outpace Memorial Day, which is often seen as the most popular camping holiday,” said Whitney Scott, chief marketing officer of Kampgrounds of America. “Between brightening economic conditions and the continued growth of late summer and fall camping, it’s apparent that camping isn’t just confined to a season.”

Looking forward to the fall season, most campers reported that they plan to camp the same amount (30%) or more (25%) than autumns of the past. Impressively, 22% indicated they are going on all or most of their camping trips in the upcoming season. Only 8% said they would not camp at all in the fall.

“We’ve always found fall is one of the best times to camp, and campers certainly agree,” Scott shared. “Across our business, advanced deposits are up 2.1%, with many of those reservations falling in September. Fall camping isn’t a secret anymore.”

Additional insights in the August Monthly Research Report show the effect of shifting external conditions on camping. A third of campers (34%) said they had replaced other vacation plans with camping due to inflation. Difficulties with air travel have also reflected positively on camping, with 31% of campers taking more or longer camping trips due to flight challenges. Similarly, 28% say they plan to book more camping trips in response to negative non-camping travel experiences.

To view the full findings of the KOA Monthly Research Report – August Edition, past and future editions, and review the research methodology, visit the KOA Press Room.