b'Q&A Conversationsfrom page 25 campground owners? BY BEN QUIGGLEBambei: Wereverypositive. Weveconsider to be very unfair to the camp- beenworkingwithmembersofourground industry. In some cases, camp- Business Forum who are tracking ad-groundsarebeingrestrictedfrom vanced reservation activity, and one ofopening a month later than the stay-in- those companies, in particular, has ex-place orders are expiring. That is where periencedadeclineinMarch,butwe are jumping in with the state execu- reservations in May have been tickingtives and writing very state-specific let- up quite nicely. Thats just one indicatorters, and as David pointed out earlier, that things are moving towards a verywe are using the RV Act system that active spring and summer.makes it very easy to put your zip code WCM: Anything else you would likein and then it actually will tell a person to add?all of the state governing officials that Sims: Havingbeenamemberofthey can send that letter to. Everybody ARVC since 1968, there is somethingfrom the governors on down to local to be said about the way ARVC hasmayorsandotherofficials. Wehave openeditsdoorstoeverybody.Itfound that to be very effective. Thats wasnt just about our membership. Weone thing that were doing in concert opened the doors for the entire indus-with the state executives who are living try and have been working on theirunderveryonerousconditionsright behalf.now. Basler: That industry unity that JeffWCM: I know when we talked a cou- has mentioned will continue, too, un-ple of weeks ago, you were pretty posi- doubtedly. And the relationships thattive about the type of summer park have been built throughout this ordealowners can have if they can get open have taught us all a lesson that weresoon. Are you still pretty positive about definitely stronger when we work to-what the summer looks like for these gether.WCMKOA Special Report Highlights AttitudesTowards Camping Due to COVID-19 CrisisCamping Ranks No. 1 as Safest Form of VacationOne of the more eagerly anticipated also layers in general leisure travelers,reports each year is the annual North individuals who might not fit the camperAmerican Camping Report published by definition,toseehowtheirmindsetsBillings, Mont.-based Kampgrounds of have changed toward camping as well. America. In general, the report highlights thatAdministered by Scott Bahr of Cairn 42 million households camp every year,Consulting Group, the report is filled with a 31% increase since 2014 and a 9% in-statistics and key measurements on the crease since 2019, with 2.7 million newstate of the RV park and campground households camping in just the last year. sectors, making it a vital tool for owners Our data shows that 64% of house-as they gauge future trends and look to holds, or 82.3 million, considered them-add new amenities.selves campers in 2019, a 2% increaseNormally, KOA would release the re- from2018,ORourkeexplained.Weport in early May. However, as KOA was havealsoseenan82%growthinputting the final touches on the 2020 edi- campers who are camping three-plustion,theCOVID-19crisisflippedthe times a year.script and Toby ORourke, CEO and pres- With the COVID-19 crisis we couldidentofKOA,toldWoodallsCamp- see those numbers increase, but thatgroundManagement(WCM)the depends on what happens over the nextcompany realized the data wasnt as rel- six months or so, she added.evant given the impact of the coron- ORourkehighlightedthefactthatavirusontheoutdoorhospitality one-third of non-campers now say theyindustry.are interested in camping due to theThe solution was to go back with new COVID-19 crisis. questions related to the COVID-19 crisis We could be poised to see some bigand release a spe- increases in new camper numbers overcial report aimed at the next year depending on how the cur-tacklingindividual rent crisis plays out, she said. attitudestoward Diving more into the impact of thecamping during the COVID-19crisis,thereporthighlightscurrent pandemic.that 41% of campers still intend to takeWewantedto their planned camping trips in 2020, withexplore the camper 21% saying they have cancelled theirmindset and under- trips.standwhattheir We also can show that 13% haveToby ORourke feelings and inten- just postponed their trips for this year, sotionsarewhenit theyhaventcancelledthemyet,comes to camping as more restrictions ORourke noted. That is pretty positivearelifted,ORourkeexplained.We for the industry and it will be interestingwantedtoknowwheretheircomfort to see what shifts reappear when welevel is at and how they feel about camp- rerun this research.ing in terms of safety. Twenty-nine percent of campers planThe Special Report: North American to camp as their first trip once restric-Camping and the Effects of COVID-19 tions are lifted, with 17% of leisure trav-26 -June 2020 Woodalls Campground Management'