What Do Younger Campers Want From an RV Park in 2027?
Your regulars are getting older. The campers who’ll fill your park in ten years are booking on their phones at 11 p.m. right now. Somewhere else.
Gen Z and millennial campers spend the most per day when they camp, but money keeps a lot of them home. This page shows an RV park owner or manager how to get them through the gate.
Over 1,000 small business owners have worked with Dr. Paul Borosky, Business Consultant, including park owners trying to reach a new crowd.
Talk to Dr. PaulCall or text (321) 948-9588.
Last Updated: November 2026
Real World Help From Dr. Paul
How This Guide Works
Quick read? Doctor Owl’s answer and the 3 steps below. Want the story? Commander Colt, the horse who runs the campsites in Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business School Series, can’t figure out why the young otters keep booking across the river. Then the numbers.
- Book a site on your own website from your phone. Time it.
- Check that the price shown is the price paid, fees included.
- Add one lower-cost option, like a basic site or a Tuesday rate, and say so on your homepage.
Why Did the Young Otters Camp Across the River?
A group of young otters kept floating past Colt’s campsites to camp at a smaller spot downstream. Colt’s sites were nicer. His views were better. He was baffled.
Doctor Owl asked, “Fire or foundation?” Losing one group was small. Losing a whole generation was a foundation crack. They worked through it with Dr. Paul’s Organize-Plan-Grow™ Strategy.
- Organize. Greta tried to book a site the way the otters would: on a phone, late at night. Colt’s park only took bookings by phone call, during the day.
- Plan. Colt added online booking and put the total price, with every fee, on the first screen.
- Grow. Greta added a basic site rate for weekdays and posted it where young campers look.
The otters booked a Tuesday. Then a weekend. Then they brought friends.
How Are Younger Campers Different?
Kampgrounds of America’s 2026 Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report found that 40% of Gen Z and 41% of millennials who didn’t camp in 2025 blamed personal finances, compared with 32% of Gen X and 22% of boomers. Yet when they do camp, Gen Z and millennials spend the most per day.
Interest in renting an RV is strong too. KOA reported 48% of campers say they’re very likely to rent an RV in 2026, led by younger generations. And Storable Newbook’s September 2026 survey found 38% of campers under 45 usually book outside business hours.
Share of non-campers in each group. Source: KOA 2026 Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report, via SGB Media.
What Does That Mean for Your Park?
Younger campers aren’t cheap. They’re careful. They want to know the real price, book in seconds, and feel the stay was worth it.
Win them early and they can be guests for 40 years. Make them call during business hours to book, and they’ll book somewhere else.
How Do You Win Younger Campers?
- Take bookings online, any hour. Late-night planners are your next regulars.
- Show the total price. Fees that show up at checkout kill the booking.
- Offer a lower-cost way in. Basic sites, midweek rates, or tent sites.
- Post real photos and Wi-Fi speed. Younger guests check both.
- Ask how they found you. Then do more of that.
What Is One Young Regular Worth?
Illustration only. Round numbers, not a real company.
Say a young couple spends $250 a visit, food and fees included, and comes back twice a year. Keep them for 10 years and that’s $5,000 from one booking that took two minutes on a phone.
Plan who you’re marketing to with the RV park business plan template. Retirees still matter too; see attracting snowbirds.
Want More Younger Guests Through the Gate?
Book a free 15-minute call with Dr. Paul. Bring your website and booking steps, and you’ll leave knowing the first thing to change.
Or call or text (321) 948-9588.
What Do Park Owners Ask About Younger Campers?
Do I need glamping to attract younger campers?
No. Easy booking, honest pricing, good Wi-Fi, and clean bathrooms matter more for most parks.
Will younger guests pay my rates?
Many will, and they spend the most per day. They just want to see the value before they book.
Should I lower prices for them?
Add a lower-cost option instead of cutting everything. Keep your best sites priced for what they’re worth.
About the Author
Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA, helps park owners reach the guests they’ll need next.
Sources
- Kampgrounds of America, 2026 Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report (April 14, 2026), as summarized by SGB Media.
- RV PRO, KOA Outdoor Hospitality Report: 52M Americans Camped in 2025 (April 2026).
- Storable Newbook camper survey, via RV PRO (September 2026).