Marketing has always been a moving target to some degree. What began as word-of-mouth before the modern print age, moved into print advertising, billboards, T.V., social media and more.
Each generation, to some degree, has had to reflect on how marketing has evolved, reassess and find the best way forward.
Woodall’s Campground Magazine (WCM) recently reached out to marketing agencies in the outdoor hospitality industry to gauge what has changed, how park owners/operators can build marketing that remains relevant and what owners/operators should expect as AI tech continues to evolve.
- How has marketing evolved over the past five years in the campground space?
Josh Richardson, founder and managing partner of Fayetteville, N.C.-based Influence Digital Agency (influenceoutdoorhospitality.com)
“Five years ago, many parks relied heavily on repeat guests, word of mouth, campground directories, Facebook and basic seasonal advertising,” noted Richardson. “The pandemic then created extraordinary demand, and many parks could fill their sites without doing particularly sophisticated marketing.
“That has changed,” he added. “Camping remains extremely popular, with more than 52 million households camping in 2025, but the market has normalized and competition has increased. Parks are competing not only with other campgrounds, but also with hotels, vacation rentals, glamping properties and other travel experiences.
“The booking journey has also become more complicated,” Richardson concluded. “A guest may discover a park through social media, research it on Google, read reviews, visit the website several times and then book later. Marketing has therefore moved beyond simply creating awareness. Parks now need to understand which efforts are producing reservations and revenue.”
Amber Simpson, founder and lead strategist of Batavia, Ill.-based Martrek Digital (martrekdigital.com)
“Five years ago, campground marketing was mostly a Google game,” noted Simpson. “If you had a decent website and showed up on page one, you were in good shape. Since then, the way campers find you has splintered. Your website is still your digital front door, but the paths leading guests to that door have multiplied.
“Short form video, reviews, booking platforms, voice assistants and now AI tools are all trails a camper might follow, and many guests form an opinion about your park while they are still on the path, before they ever reach your door,” she added. “As a marketer and a camping family that spends about nine weeks a year on the road, I have watched this change from both sides of the campfire. The parks winning right now are the ones tending every trail that leads to their front door, not just the door itself.”
Mark Koep, CEO of Campground Views (campgroundviews.com)
“Over the past five years, the outdoor hospitality industry has undergone a massive digital acceleration,” Koep explained. “Five years ago, many parks still relied heavily on traditional print directories, basic websites and word-of-mouth. Today, the landscape is almost entirely mobile-first and highly visual.
“The pandemic brought a flood of new campers into the market, and these consumers expect frictionless digital experiences,” he added. “We’ve seen a shift away from static photos toward immersive, experiential marketing; such as high-quality video and 360-degree virtual tours. Campers want to ‘see it before they book it.’
“Additionally, the platforms have shifted; social media is no longer just for brand awareness, but a primary discovery and booking channel,” Koep concluded. “Finally, the sheer volume of data available to park owners has grown, allowing for more targeted, data-driven marketing rather than the ‘spray and pray’ methods of the past.”
Scott Harness, chief marketing strategist for Campground Consulting Group (campgroundconsultinggroup.com)
“Marketing has changed more rapidly in the past five years than at any other point in recent memory, especially in how travelers find, compare and choose parks,” Harness highlighted. “Five years ago, many owners focused, at best, on their website, Google, Facebook, campground directories and repeat guests. Today, travelers may discover a park through maps, reviews, social media, travel platforms, voice search, or, increasingly, an AI-generated answer.
“AI is already having a much bigger impact than many owners realize,” he added. “It is beginning to influence which parks travelers see, compare and consider. If a park has an outdated website, incomplete listings, inconsistent information or weak reviews, it may be passed over before the traveler ever reaches the booking page. That is why I believe a park’s website and digital presence are no longer just marketing tools. They are part of the park’s revenue infrastructure.”
- What are the most important things for owners/operators to be doing right now to stay relevant in digital marketing and to ensure they are still getting the most ROI?
Amber Simpson
“Start with clarity before you touch a single platform,” said Simpson. “Know exactly who your ideal guest is. A park built for seasonal families tells a different story than one built for weekend adventurers or full-time RVers, and your marketing should sound like it. Once you know who you are talking to, make sure that message and story are clear and consistent across every platform you are on. A camper who finds you on Facebook, then Google, then your website, should meet the same park in all three places.
“Then get your fundamentals rock solid,” she added. “That means a Google Business Profile that is complete, accurate and actively managed. A website that loads fast on a phone, because that is where your guests are booking. A steady flow of fresh reviews and responses to every one of them. And this is the one most parks skip: Own your guest relationships. Your email list is the only marketing channel no algorithm can take away from you.
“On the ROI side, stop guessing,” she concluded. “Set up tracking so you know which channels actually produce bookings, not just clicks. I see parks spending money on ads with no way to know if a single reservation came from them. You cannot get the most ROI if you cannot measure it. Marketing without measurement is just a campfire story you tell yourself.”
Mark Koep
“The most critical action park owners can take right now is to get their foundational digital house in perfect order,” Koep noted. “Before chasing the newest trends, ensure your Google Business Profile is completely optimized, accurate and actively managed. This is the single biggest driver of local ROI.
“Second, invest in authentic, high-quality visual assets,” he added. “Because AI is making it incredibly easy to generate generic text and stock imagery, authentic proof of your park’s experience is becoming your most valuable asset. Real photos, real videos and immersive virtual tours cut through the noise and build immediate trust.
“Third, leverage AI tools to create operational efficiency, not to replace your voice,” Koep concluded. “Use AI to help draft email newsletters, write social media captions or respond to routine FAQs, which frees up your staff to provide the high-touch, in-person hospitality that actually drives repeat business and five-star reviews.”
Scott Harness
“I believe every park should start with a digital health check,” Harness highlighted. “Owners need to understand how their website, search visibility, listings, reviews, social media, booking process, content and tracking are all working together. Without a clear baseline, it is difficult to know what needs attention first or where marketing dollars will have the greatest impact.
“Owners should be able to see how marketing connects to reservations, booking revenue, conversion rates, acquisition costs and average booking value,” he added. “Paid advertising should be measured by return on ad spend, not just clicks, impressions or traffic.”
Josh Richardson
“Start with the fundamentals,” Richardson noted. “Make sure the park’s information is consistent across its website, Google Business Profile, Bing Places for Business, Apple Business Connect and major industry directories.
“Owners and operators should also: Market around actual booking windows, availability, weather and seasonal demand; Track completed reservations and revenue, not just clicks and impressions; Use guest data for rebooking campaigns, email, text messaging and targeted offers; Build different strategies for weekends, weekdays, accommodations and shoulder periods; Evaluate marketing alongside occupancy, average daily rate and cost per reservation,” he added.
- How do parks ensure they appear in AI-generated information?
Mark Koep
“To show up in AI-driven search engines (like ChatGPT, Claude, or Google’s AI Overviews), you have to understand how these models learn. They scrape the internet for consensus, structured data and authoritative mentions,” Koep noted.
He said that to ensure your park is included, these things are important:
- Maintain consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) data across all online directories, your website and your social channels.
- Generate consistent, high-quality reviews. AI models heavily weigh customer sentiment and frequently pull from Google, TripAdvisor and Yelp reviews to summarize what a park is like.
- Create detailed, specific content on your website. Don’t just say “We have RV sites.” Detail the exact amp hookups, the specific dimensions of the pads, the Wi-Fi speeds and the local attractions. AI models need this granular text to answer specific user prompts like, “Find me an RV park near Yellowstone with 50-amp service and fast Wi-Fi.”
- Get mentioned elsewhere. PR, guest blogs, and listings on high-authority industry sites (like Campground Views) signal to AI that your park is a recognized entity.
Josh Richardson
“This is where Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO, becomes important,” Richardson highlighted. “Traditional SEO is designed to help a park appear in a list of search results. AEO is focused on helping platforms such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and other AI tools understand the park well enough to include it in a direct answer. There is no guaranteed way to make that happen. What parks can do is make their information easy to discover, understand and verify.”
Steps include:
- Creating clear website content about accommodations, hookups, pet policies, activities, seasonal stays, accessibility and nearby attractions.
- Answering the specific questions campers ask instead of relying only on broad promotional language.
- Using appropriate local-business structured data.
- Maintaining strong reviews and credible listings on tourism, association and industry websites.
“Google’s guidance indicates that AEO is still grounded in strong SEO, useful content, technical accessibility and accurate local-business information,” Richardson said. “Structured data can also help search engines understand details such as location, hours and contact information, although it does not guarantee inclusion.
“The most important factor is consistency,” he added. “If the park’s website, Google profile and directory listings all say different things, AI platforms have no reliable way to determine which information is correct.”
Scott Harness
“The web developer or SEO provider should make sure the site can be crawled, indexed and understood by search engines and AI tools,” Harness noted. “They should also confirm that the website is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, includes proper page titles and structured data, and is connected to Google Search Console and analytics.
“It is also important for owners to ask for proof that the work has been completed and to receive regular reporting on search visibility, website traffic, calls, reservation activity and bookings,” he added. “No one can guarantee that a park will appear in every AI-generated answer, but a clear, accurate and technically sound digital presence gives it the best possible chance.”
Amber Simpson
“The playbook is to answer real camper questions in plain language on your website,” Simpson said. “Things like whether you allow pets, whether sites are pull-through, and what there is to do nearby. Keep your name, address, phone and amenities consistent everywhere they appear online, and keep earning reviews, because AI tools lean heavily on them when recommending where to stay.
“If your online information is thin or inconsistent, AI has nothing accurate to say about you, and it will recommend the park down the road instead,” she added.
- Looking down the road, what should park owners expect as AI continues to evolve?
Scott Harness
“Travelers will rely more heavily on AI to research destinations, compare parks, summarize reviews, evaluate amenities and narrow their choices,” Harness said. “Instead of making several separate searches, a traveler may ask one detailed question, such as, ‘Find a pet-friendly RV resort near hiking trails that can accommodate a 45-foot motorhome and has activities for children.’
“AI can be a powerful marketing and business tool, but it should never replace strategy, experience, sound judgment or genuine hospitality,” he added. “At CCG, our decades of consulting and operating experience have shown us that technology works best when it supports strong fundamentals. Those fundamentals are still what separate one park from another.”
Mark Koep
“We are moving from a ‘search’ web to an ‘answer’ web,” Koep explained. “Instead of a camper Googling ‘RV parks in Florida’ and clicking through ten websites, they will ask an AI agent to ‘Find and book a premium RV site in Florida for a 40-foot rig next week.’ Park owners should expect AI to eventually act as an intermediary in the booking process.
“Because of this, the premium on absolute authenticity will skyrocket,” he added. “As AI-generated content floods the internet, consumers will become skeptical of text and standard photos. They will demand verifiable reality. Technologies like verified 360-degree video tours will become the gold standard because they prove the reality of the site.
“Furthermore, expect AI to handle almost all top-of-funnel customer service — chatbots that actually work, instantly answering questions about pet policies or pool hours, allowing your staff to focus entirely on the on-property guest experience,” Koep concluded.
Amber Simpson
“Expect more of the trip planning journey to happen inside AI tools instead of on your website,” Simpson said. “Travelers are already asking AI to build itineraries and compare campgrounds, and the tools are only getting better at it. Speaking from experience, we just built our entire 6-week trip using Claude.
“That makes two things more valuable, not less,” she added. “First, your direct relationship with guests. The parks that own their guest data and communicate directly will be insulated from whatever the algorithms do next. Second, your reputation. AI recommendations run on trust signals, so the reviews and content you build today are the raw material for how AI describes your park tomorrow. My advice is not to panic and not to freeze. AI is not replacing good marketing fundamentals. It is amplifying them.”
Josh Richardson
“AI will increasingly compare parks, summarize reviews, evaluate amenities, check availability and eventually help complete reservations,” Richardson noted. “That makes accurate information, booking-engine connectivity, strong reviews and clear differentiation even more important.
“AI will also make it easier to produce advertising and content, but that will create a flood of generic marketing,” he explained. “The winners will not necessarily be the parks using the most AI. They will be the parks using it to clearly communicate what makes their experience different while connecting their marketing efforts to actual reservations and revenue.”
