RV Industry Continues To Grow In Florida, Spurred In Part By The Pandemic

The recreational vehicle industry both nationally and locally already was on the rise in terms of sales and RV park development, with customers skewing younger and younger. Thanks to last year’s travel restrictions, an increase in homeschooling and remote working, and a general concern for safety, the industry not is only weathering the pandemic but is on the upswing again this year, according to industry experts.

“The RV market was ready for everybody to latch onto it,” said Bobby Cornwell, president and chief executive of the Florida Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.

RV park and campground usage grew by 20 percent in Florida last year, he said.

Typically, January through March is the state’s peak season for RVers, driven in part by Canadian snowbirds, Cornwell said. While international border closures tied to the pandemic led to a drop in that clientele last year, domestic travelers from in and out of the state made up for it.

Cornwell also reported a higher number of summer reservations, which isn’t typically expected in the state.

Part of that was driven by younger RVers who wanted to work remotely and from outside of their home, a trend that started before the pandemic, said Amir Harpaz, who oversees the Torrey Trails RV & Golf Resort in central Florida and other parks in South Florida. For the past five to seven years, it’s been 40- and 50-year-olds and even younger entering the RV market, he said.

“People no longer need to retire in order to RV and come to Florida. They can just work from everywhere,” Harpaz said. “I think COVID accelerated that trend.”

Check out the rest of the article from Tampa Bay Times here.