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National
Survey Indicates RVers and Campers Spend
Billions of Dollars in Local
Communities
A
national survey estimates that more than
$3.8 billion was spent by RVers and
campers in local communities when they
visited the nation's commercial RV parks
and campgrounds from May through August of
2004.
The
Woodall's/ARVC RV Park and Campground
Survey is being conducted by Michigan
State University and was rolled-out this
spring to the nation's commercial RV parks
and campgrounds. The research collects
weekly occupancy numbers and economic
spending patterns from participating parks
and campgrounds. The survey's results are
providing the industry, its suppliers, and
its consumers with a better understanding
of occupancy trends, spending patterns,
and the industry's overall economic impact
on local communities.
This
is the first time a study of this
magnitude has been commissioned.RV travel
and sales are reaching record levels since
September 11, 2001. Today a record 7.2
million RVs are on the roads in the United
States. RVs are owned by nearly 7 million
U.S. households -- a 7.8 percent increase
during 1998-2001, reveals a University of
Michigan study. There are as many as 30
million RV enthusiasts, including renters,
nationwide, according to Recreation
Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA)
estimates. Long-term signs point to
substantial RV market growth because of
favorable demographic trends, according to
a 2001 University of Michigan study. The
number of RV-owning households is
estimated to rise 15 percent during the
2001-2010-time period to nearly 8 million.
Linda Profaizer, ARVC President and CEO
said, "Woodall's partnered with us to
conceive the initiative, develop the
protocol, build a model that works for the
RV parks and campground community, and
fund the study."
Joe
Daquino, Affinity Group, Inc.'s Multimedia
Division Vice President and
Woodall's
Publisher, noted that the study was a good
fit for Woodall's, which
publishes
a North American Campground Directory
along with several regional
publications.
Each year, commercial RV parks and
campgrounds are personally
inspected
by one of Woodall's 30 Representative
Teams. Their detailed
inspection
reports are the basis for the listing
information and ratings found
in
Woodall's Campground Directory.
"The
Michigan State Research team is managing
this project, collecting the
data,
and analyzing the findings," Profaizer
said. "Their extensive
experience
in the outdoor recreation community
ensures that they understand
our
industry and can provide the type of
professional, research-driven
analysis
the industry needs to continue its growth
and expansion." Profaizer
and
Daquino agree that it was important to
work with an independent
organization
experienced in industry research to ensure
the credibility of the
data
and research analysis.
The
highest overall average occupancy rate
throughout the U.S. was
reported
for the July 4th weekend -- nearly 80%.
Not unexpected, the highest
occupancy
rates are Friday and Saturday nights.
"This gives us an indication
that
Labor Day weekend will reach a very high
level of occupancy as well,"
said
Profaizer.
At
least one region was at near capacity over
the 4th. The New England
states
were at an 87% occupancy level while the
southeast reached 82%. The
western
U.S. reached nearly 78% in occupied
sites.
The
southeastern U.S. topped out at 90%
occupancy on June 18 and 19. New
England
had the highest weekend occupancy rate
during July and was followed by
the
west with 75%. Midwest Saturday nights
occupancy levels averaged nearly
72%.
Dr.
Edward Mahoney of Michigan State
University estimates that between May
and
August there were 124,865,541 site nights
available for occupancy in
commercial
RV parks and campgrounds. There are a
little over 1 million sites
available
in 8,000 commercial RV parks and
campgrounds parks throughout the
United
States. The average occupancy for the
length of the survey has been
47%
across all campgrounds participating in
the survey. That translates to
58,686,804
occupied site nights and the average
spending per party per night
in
local communities near the campgrounds not
including campsite fees is $65.
The
$65 figure is based on the national
average from Michigan State University
studies.
Dr. Mahoney believes that the estimate of
$3.8 billion in local
camper
spending for May through August 2004 is
conservative because it does
not
fully account for spending by campers who
are membership campers, own
their
campsites or rent campsites of the season.
It also does not include the
multiplier
effects of the spending.
Americans
seem to be traveling as much as they did
before September 11th,
but
trends indicate that they are traveling
more frequently and for shorter
distances.
RV travel and camping provides Americans
the chance to take the
whole
family on a trip more often.
Factory-to-dealer
deliveries of recreation vehicles (RV's)
are up 20
percent
for the first half of 2004 compared to the
same period last year-on
pace
to set a quarter-century record, according
to newly released data RVIA.
Despite
record-high gasoline prices nationwide
this summer, June's RV
shipments
were the highest for any June since 1977.
For the first six months
of
2004, shipments totaled 196,200 units
compared to 163,500 units during the
first
half of 2003.
The
strong shipment numbers have been spurred
by increasing consumer
demand
for RV's. Retail sales of RV's rose 15.2
percent in the first five
months
of 2004 compared to the same period last
year, according to Statistical
Surveys,
Inc. In 2003 the RV industry earned record
revenues of over $12
billion
(as measured by the retail value of
wholesale shipments).
About
Woodall's
Woodall
Publications Corporation is a multi-media
publisher producing
annual
campground, tenting and rental
directories, regional monthly
periodicals,
a variety of specific-interest books and
Woodall's website
(http://www.woodalls.com
) each designed to reach different
segments of the
RV/camping
consumer marketplace. Woodall's also
publishes Campground
Management,
a monthly trade publication designed
exclusively for park
operators.
About
ARVC
The
National Association of RV Parks and
Campgrounds (ARVC) is the
national
association representing over 3700 parks
and campgrounds throughout
the
United States and Canada. The association
is headquartered in Falls
Church,
VA. More information about the association
can be found at
http://www.ARVC.org
. Additional information about the
association's member
parks,
an online directory of parks and other
camping services, and general
information
for camping consumers can be found
at
SOURCE
National Association of RV Parks and
Campgrounds; Woodall Publications
Corporation;
Michigan State University
-0-
08/30/2004
/CONTACT:
Julie Calzone, CEO-President of Calzone
& Associates, +1-337-
235-2924
ext. 3, or jcalzone@calzone.com , for
National Association of RV
Parks
and Campgrounds/
http://www.ARVC.org
/Web
site: http://www.ARVC.org
http://www.woodalls.com
http://www.gocampingamerica.com
/
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