The Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA) Monthly Research Report – June 2023 Edition indicates consumers who camp are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) more quickly than other leisure travelers.
Currently, 32% of consumers who camp said they have used AI for trip planning, while another 22% plan to utilize it in the future. Comparatively, only 7% of consumers who do not have planned a trip with AI.
Consumers who camp and use AI for trip planning are most likely to rely on it for information gathering, such as seeking reviews (55%), trip research (53%), building an itinerary (48%) or compiling resources about destinations (36%). About one-fourth of campers utilize AI to find dining tips or even places to avoid.
“Campers are emerging as early adopters of AI technologies that make planning travel easier,” Whitney Scott, senior vice president of strategy at KOA. “We already know that campers are more enthusiastic about travel than other consumers. We are seeing similar enthusiasm toward online tools that can assist them in planning better, or more, trips easily.”
While consumers who camp are more likely to apply AI, only about one-in-10 have used or plan to use AI for all their planning. The finding suggests other resources or personal knowledge are still essential in creating itineraries, KOA said.
Additionally, with increased attention to drawbacks or concerns associated with AI, trust among consumers who camp has dropped. Trust in AI among consumers who camp fell nearly 20 points, from 78% in May to 59% in June.
The June edition of KOA’s Monthly Research Report said consumers who camp are significantly more likely to participate in other forms of travel than consumers who do not camp. Over the past 12 months, and looking forward to the remainder of 2023, consumers who camp are boosting all travel participation significantly.
Reinforcing this finding, more than 8.4 million camping households went camping and combined their camping trip with other forms of travel over Memorial Day alone.
“In addition to hotel and resort stays, even with air travel issues, campers are more likely to take both domestic and international trips,” Scott said. “It is important to recognize that this group is not just campers; they are fervent travelers critical to the overall travel sector.”
KOA’s June Report found traffic increasing over holidays and the larger summer season. Nearly 24.4 million households camped over Memorial Day, 2 million more than did so the year prior.
Looking ahead to the July 4 holiday weekend, 22 million households are expected to spend the holiday camping. Most consumers who camp (about 90%) are planning a camping trip this summer.
