Cooped up by COVID, Americans rediscovered parks, nature in 2021
Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
MITCHELL – In 2021, Americans, tired of being cooped up for a year by COVID restrictions, bolted for the open road in search of R&R.
The great outdoors was the safest choice as people headed to campgrounds, parks, lakes and other outdoor recreation spaces which allowed for natural social distancing.
A new report from the U.S. Department of Commerce is showing record-breaking numbers for 2021 and the outdoor recreation industry, which topped $826 billion in economic output.
Highlights from the 2021 data on the outdoor recreation economy documented the industry’s $862 billion represents 1.9% of GDP. It showed that trips and travel are coming back with record sales in many outdoor segments as manufacturing increased.
The new numbers show outdoor recreation also generates 4.5 million jobs contributing more to the U.S. economy than oil and gas extraction, mining, and agriculture.
In Indiana, outdoor recreation accounts for 107,000 jobs, which is 3.4% of all employees in the state. Outdoor recreation generated $12.9 billion in Indiana in 2021.
Larry Root, owner of Root’s RV & Sales on Ind. 37 in Mitchell, said his business experienced a boom in RV sales and rentals in 2021.
“People were so tired of being shut up, this was the first thing they could do,” Root said. “The pandemic brought a lot of people to the RV side, they saw it as a breath of fresh air to get out and do their own thing.”
– Larry Root, owner of Root’s RVs, on the camping boom of 2021.
Because many of his customers were first-time buyers, Root expected at least some would be back in 2022 to sell their camper because they decided RV life wasn’t for them.
That’s not what happened.
“They traded in because they wanted a bigger one or one with more amenities,” he said. “Seventy percent of people who bought an RV in 2021 were ready to trade up because they loved camping.”
National data matched up with what Root was seeing. In 2021, 30% of those buying RVs were first-time buyers, according to Winnebago Industries. Of those first-time buyers, 86% said their RV experience met or exceeded their expectations.
RV shortage
With more people turning to outdoor recreation, there was a shortage of RVs. RV owners who were selling or trading, Root said, were getting top dollar for their RVs.
“It was the biggest boom I can remember,” he said. “We ordered from any manufacturer we could to get product.”
According to the 2022 North American Camping Report, sponsored by Kampgrounds of America Inc., nearly 57 million households took at least one camping trip in 2021 compared to 48.2 million in 2020 and 42 million in 2019, which was pre-pandemic.
More people camping meant more demand for campsites.
The Radius Indiana area is home to several private and public campgrounds, including Spring Mill State Park.
Mark Young, Spring Mill property manager, said park attendance and campground revenue exploded in 2021.
The park’s 2019 camping revenue was $478,000.
Through November 2022, camping revenue is $559,000. In 2021, the campground generated $615,000.
“In 2021, people were itching to get out. This year, it settled back, but we’re still above 2020,” Young said.
Even though 2022 won’t match 2021 when the pandemic was at its worst, Young said enthusiasm for outdoor recreation isn’t waning.
“What we found when we talked to visitors is people rediscovered the Indiana state parks. That new interest or renewed interest in the state park system is continuing and it wasn’t just here, it was across the board,” Young said of the state park system.
More full hook-up sites
Spring Mill has 234 campsites and is in the process of converting its primitive camping area to 46 full hook-up sites with sewer, water and electricity to meet the growing demand for full hook-up.
The new sites should be ready for spring break 2023 and reservations should go online in mid-January.
Camp sites can be reserved starting six months out. The month of October, special event weekends like the Tri Kappa Candlelight Tour, fall campsite decorating and the major summer holidays fill up as soon as the reservation window opens, Young said. Other summer weekends can still be reserved a month in advance.
Root, who has been in business for 37 years, said the camping season used to end with Labor Day, but now the season extends through October.
Young said the season is starting to push into November with events like the Christmas campsite decorating contest gaining in popularity.
“If our November numbers continue to go up, we’ve got a predicament because the water lines aren’t geared for a later season,” he said.
Gas prices, rental option
Even as gas prices went up in 2022, campers still were hitting the road.
“Gas prices didn’t seem to be a factor,” Root said. “People were not going to Disney World. They are still RVing, they are just staying closer to home.”
For those who aren’t ready to commit to RV ownership or they don’t have a towing vehicle, Root’s RV rental option was popular.
The Root’s staff will deliver the RV to the campsite and sit it up. Root’s also offers a set-up option for RV owners.
Rising interest rates led to a cooling off in RV sales, but Root said interest in outdoor recreation is still strong. December is usually the slowest month for RV sales at Root’s, but the first week of the month is off to a strong start.
“This time of year, people aren’t buying big ticket items because they are buying for Christmas,” he said. “Usually we sell five campers in December. We’ve already sold 10.”