The Great American Escape According to the Outdoor Foundation, the number of Americans participating in outdoor activities increased from 142.4 million for 2015 to 144.0 million for 2016, with the participation rate also increasing from 48.4% to 48.6%, respectively. Fishing replaced camping as youth’s (6–24 years of age) third most popular outdoor activity, but camping was a close fourth, at 19.0%, or 15.3 million participants, compared to 19.5% and 15.6 million participants for fishing. Camping remained the #1 aspirational outdoor activity among youth in all age groups (6–12, 13–17 and 18– 24) and didn’t change for adults: 25–34, #2; 35–44, #1; and 45+, #1.

Enjoying Our Wondrous Land According to the Kampgrounds of America (KOA) 2017 North American Camping Report, 37.1 million Americans camped during 2016, a 6.3% increase from 2015’s 34.9 million and 15.9% increase from 2014’s 32 million. Higher percentages of Millennials and Gen Xers consider themselves campers, compared to their percentage of the overall population, at 38% and 31% and 34% and 27%, respectively, and they intend to increase their camping trips. The KOA report also found that almost two-thirds of Americans said that planning for a camping trip a pleasurable activity, which was even higher among teens, with 79% stating the planning stage was “very enjoyable.

More Asian-Americans Join the Fun As reported in last year’s Camping Profiler, there is increasing interest in camping among non-Caucasian Americans, and 60% of those are Millennials. This growth has been specifically among Asian/Pacific Islander Americans, with 40% of them stating they started camping during the past few years, compared to Caucasian Americans, 12%; African Americans, 31%; and Latino-Americans, 22%. The KOA report found that Asian/Pacific Islander Americans exceeded all other ethnic groups in the percentage who “want to spend more time with family and friends,” “more free time” and “want to explore some new areas/attractions” while camping.

Tech and Camping Are Compatible for Teens According to the KOA report, Generation Z (teens and the youngest adults) are highly attracted to camping because it allows them to participate in the same activities associated with camping that adults enjoy. Although 52% of teens and the youngest adults said a camping trip is a good opportunity to reduce their use of technology, 40% said technology enhances their camping experience and only 15% said technology makes it worse. Fishing is the most popular activity among teens when camping, at 80%, and only 13% said they prefer to visit an amusement park than camp.

More Outdoor Activities and Camping Start at Amazon Following its acquisition of outdoor retailer Gander Mountain during May 2017, Camping World is also acquiring TheHouse.com, an online retailer of bikes, sailboards, skateboards, wakeboards, snowboards and outdoor gear. According to data from One Click Retail, many sporting goods and outdoors stores have closed not because Americans are less active, but because Amazon is grabbing a greater share of the market. The total value of US outdoor & sporting goods market increased 5% during 2016 to $120 billion; however, Amazon’s total 2016 sales in this category of $5.5 billion was a 20% increase over its 2015 sales.

Advertising Strategies Consider an “Amazon Busted” weekend promotion to generate more foot traffic and more ancillary sales, featuring selected athletic apparel, outdoor equipment and sporting goods products in-store at lower prices than Amazon offers. To promote local camping destinations and the fun of backyard camping, invite local and/or state wildlife department personnel and/or “backyard camping experts” to interact with consumers in- store, providing maps and online resources. Consider a “Camping Is Better Sharing” promotion, providing a discount (with a qualifying purchase amount) to extended families and/or friends and neighbors who want to purchase and share camping equipment.

New Media Strategies Use Snapchat to find local teen camping enthusiasts to serve as “store ambassadors.” Ask them to share photos/videos of their camping trips and activities. They could also try selected camping products and provide reviews. Post a poll or survey on Snapchat, targeting teens and Millennials, asking questions about how much they used or didn’t use technology while camping: how often they checked social media, how often they posted content, etc. To promote the concept of sharing camping, ask those families, friends and/or neighbors who make purchases during your “Camping Is Better Sharing” promotion to post photos/videos of their shared experiences and how well the concept worked for them.