As The Country Reopens Slowly, KOA Sees Camping Demand Rise

AAA Travel says Memorial Day weekend this year could set a record low for the number of Americans traveling. So low, that for the first time in 20 years the travel icon will not issue its Memorial Day forecast.

But amid the gloom, there is some good news to report on the travel front. A new survey conducted by Billings-based Kampgrounds of America indicates outdoor recreation, camping in particular, is among the first things people plan to do once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

"Really great optimism about camping," said Toby O'Rourke, president and CEO of Kampgrounds of America (KOA). "People are valuing the outdoors more than ever right now. Thirty percent of those surveyed said camping is going to be their first trip when they're able to get out there."

KOA's new North American Camping Report surveyed travelers to better understand how people are going to want to engage in the outdoors in light of the coronavirus.

"We asked leisure travelers, both campers and non-campers, to rank different forms of travel, and camping rates at the top of that list for those people in terms of safety," said O'Rourke.

Since stay-at-home orders first went into effect about nine weeks ago, cancellations across KOA's network of campgrounds in the USA and Canada topped 160,000. Now, with Memorial Day weekend just two weeks off, the numbers have flipped.

Check out the full article from KTVQ News here.