RV Industry Association's Federal Affairs Team Speaks On Need For Campground Modernization

This month, Mike Ochs and Chris Bornemann, members of RV Industry Association’s federal affairs team, were featured speakers at two conferences where they discussed the opportunities for state parks and tourism on Native American lands (commonly referred to as “Indian Country)” to benefit from the growth of the RV industry.

Last week, Mike Ochs was a featured speaker, along with a representative from the Bureau of Land Management, in a breakout session at the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association’s (AIANTA) annual American Indian Tourism Conference in Albuquerque, N.M. AIANTA was excited to bring industry experts to the conference to discuss best practices for creating and establishing RV parks and campgrounds because the vast, pristine landscapes and the unique and diverse cultural assets of Indian Country are perfect for RV camping, buildouts in infrastructure and additional employment opportunities.

Ochs discussed the factors behind the rapid growth of the industry, recent shifts in consumer demographics and wants and needs of the next generation of RVers. His presentation also covered evolving product trends, resources available to assist public/private agencies and the significant need for campground modernization and expansion across the country to accommodate the demand of the booming RV industry.

Earlier this month, Chris Bornemann spoke at the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) conference which celebrated the growth of outdoor recreation and focused sessions on launching new ideas and working together to make outdoor recreation even better.

This year marked the third year Bornemann has been asked to present at the conference and found that many state park directors have heeded previous calls from the RV industry to invest in outdoor recreation and campground modernization and expansion projects in their state parks across the country. Also discussed by Bornemann were ways the RV industry can partner with the parks to continue implementing the NFPA 1194 RV parks and campground design standard, suppling additional RV-related amenities and expanding camping opportunities at their parks.

Airstream President & CEO Bob Wheeler also gave a presentation to the state park leaders on “The Golden Age of RVing” which included recent Go RVing research on the demographic of the next generation of RVer’s, as well as ways Airstream is accommodating the next-generation RVer with new RV designs and technology that capitalizes on the sharing economy.

One of the exciting displays at NASPD came from Cavco who hosted a PMRV display to encourage state parks to utilize PMRVs as rental units. Having the display allowed the park directors to see firsthand the benefits of using PMRVs in their parks: they’re portable, a great way to introduce new campers and urban residents to outdoor recreation and the camping lifestyle, and they provide the same accommodations that a standard stick-built cabin provides at a fraction of the cost.