b'EDITORS NOTES By Ben QuiggleA Good Time to be Selling the Great Outdoors2020 has been a whirlwind of emotions for most RV park and campground operatorsfrom optimism at the outset of the year to acrushing shutdown imposed by national and state government andhealth authorities in March to an extraordinarily busy summer that formany in the outdoor hospitality sector came as a complete surprise.In the process, many park owners were left operating their parkswith limited staffs during what was for some the busiest seasonthey have ever experienced. Still, the outdoor hospitality arena asa whole rose to the challenge. Now, many of them are predictingan equally busy 2021 as an influx of new RVers and remote workersstill look to get outdoors. Having said that, there are still some questions floating aroundabout the sustainability of the current camping surge. And COVID is lingering, potentiallyleading to more shutdowns in the months ahead.How much will COVID impact the 2021 season? Who knows? But theNational Associationof RV Parks and Campgrounds(ARVC) and the RV Industry Association(RVIA) in late No-vember asked the federal government and all 50 states to designate RV parks, campgroundsand RV manufacturers as essential service providers. The move was a preemptive strikeshould shutdowns occur again. Even with vaccines in the works, park owners would be remiss not to prepare for potentialissues come this spring, but many northern-tier owners are obviously hoping to open ontime in 2021. Will new RVers continue to camp? Another good question. RVs are a relatively expensivecommitment and many park operators anticipate that anyone who bought a new RV in 2020will want to use it in the future.For park owners, in turn, the onus is on them to ensure that their campers are having agreat experience at their parks. For new campers, that may mean showing them how to hookup their RVs and helping them get acclimated to the camping lifestyle. Will it be frustratingat times? No doubt, but going the extra mile should ensure that new campers have a positiveexperience and make them more likely to return to a given park down the road. No one has a crystal ball, and you wont see increases every year, but with a customer serv-ice-minded approach and a public that is craving outdoor experiences, it sure looks like thisupward trend still has plenty of momentum.Woodalls Campground Management is excited about the new year and the potential tosee even more parks take advantage of this current surge in the outdoor hospitality industry.In a world that is tired of being inside, its good to be part of a business sector that is sellingexperiences in the great outdoors. Happy Holidays! WCMwww.woodallscm.comJanuary2021 Vol. 52No. 1G & M E D I A LLCGROUPContact Information: Editorial Rick Kessler, Managing EditorSherman Goldenberg, Publisher rkessler@rvbusiness.comsgoldenberg@rvbusiness.com (734) 777-6830Office: (574) 457-3370 Gary Gerard, Editorial DirectorMobile: (574) 457-6637 ggerard@rvbusiness.comFax: (574) 457-8295 (574) 528-1275Ben Quiggle, Editorbquiggle@rvbusiness.com Jeff Crider, Senior EditorMobile: (574) 306-7781 campinginfosource@gmail.com(760) 469-5905Advertising:Ally Kollat, Account Wendy Thorne, AccountExecutive, National Ad Sales Executive, National Ad Salesakollat@g-gmediagroup.com wthorne@g-gmediagroup.comOffice: (574) 266-7980 Office (574) 266-7980or (800) 831-1076 ext. 11 or (800) 831-1076 ext. 14Art Direction:Trina Nissley, Art Directortnissley@rvbusiness.comAll general correspondence, circulation and display and classifiedsales inquiries may be directed to the following:Woodalls Campground Management, C/O G&G Media Group LLC, 2901 E. Bristol St., Ste. B, Elkhart, IN 46514. Fax: (574) 266-7984Owners, managers or marketing directors of privately held U.S. campgroundsmay receive a free subscription upon request to Woodalls CampgroundManagementone free subscription per campground. Others may purchase subscriptions at these rates: $24.95 per year U.S. or $35.95 peryear in Canada. Contact Woodalls Campground Management, C/O G&GMedia Group LLC, 2901 E. Bristol St., Ste. B, Elkhart, IN 46514. Email: rvbusiness@rvbusiness.comWoodalls Campground Management is published monthly by G&G MediaGroup LLC at the above address.2 -January 2021Woodalls Campground Management'