Inside Outdoor Magazine

be pushing the trend toward camping close to home (within 50 miles), KOA findings suggest. While campers over time and overall are becoming signifi- cantly more likely to camp closer to home and less likely to travel longer distances (more than 150 miles), nearly half of new campers in 2017 traveled less than 50 miles to camp. “The change is likely driven by the fact that newer campers are the most likely to camp close to home, and there are more new campers,” said the KOA study. Perhaps the most significant impact new campers could have on the market centers around their choice of accom- modations, which in some ways defines the camping experience and deter- mines the type of gear and products required to complement a trip. In short, new camper are more open to trying different accommodations or types of camping, says KOA. “While Millennials of all ethnicities are trying out new accommodations, the rate of trial of new accommodations is significantly higher among non-whites,” said the study. “Almost three-fourths of non-white Millennials said they tried a new accommodation in 2017, compared to just half of white Millennials who said they tried something new.” Overall, Hispanic/Latino (71 percent) and African American/Black (78 percent) campers are most likely to experiment with differ- ent types of camping, showed the study. Of course, tent usage remains consistent and is likely to continue as the primary accommodation for more than half of all campers. Some of those 108 CHANNEL VISION | September - October 2015 “On point and highly applicable... Sayner’s acumen is compelling” “A must read for anyone in retail” “Sayner’s insight can make the difference between winning and losing the retail game” TO ORDER: Email rsayner@rmsa.com Retail Revelations: Strategies for Improving Sales, Margins, and Turnover by Ritchie Sayner Price: $15.95 | Limited Availability Em R Stra 2015 2016 2017 Source: KOA; Cairn Consulting Group 58% Primary Accommodations of Campers Source: KOA; Cairn Consulting Group Other Cabins RVs Tents 54% 23% 54% 21% 59% 22% 60% 22% 61% 24% 53% 19% 20% 4% 2012 2014 2015 2016 2017 New campers in 2017 4% 1% 1% 1% 3% 21% 18% 17% 14% 25% Inside Outdoor | SPRING 2018 30