Hipcamp Acquires BookOutdoors, Seeing Significant Growth – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
Today (Oct. 30), Hipcamp, an app to discover and book campsites, announced the acquisition of BookOutdoors, an online travel booking platform for campgrounds, RV parks, cabins and glamping resorts. The acquisition is a move to meet the growing demand from campers who are searching for well-equipped places to camp, according to a press release.
According to the OHI Generational Camping Report, 65% of Millennials and Gen Z prefer to choose campsites with strong amenities. The 2024 KOA Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report states that over the past 10 years, active campers have increased by 68%, adding an additional 21.6 million households that are searching for places to stay.
Hipcamp has seen this demand manifest directly on its booking platform. In the summer of 2024, Hipcamp saw more than a 200% increase in searches for new places to camp and an 87% increase in searches for campgrounds offering amenities. Additionally, searches for Wi-Fi-equipped campgrounds are up 110% year over year.
In the past year, Hipcampers have booked more than 3.3 million individual nights outside. In an effort to keep up with demand, especially for amenity-rich campgrounds on Hipcamp, this acquisition will help campers find what they’re looking for as well as increase revenue for campgrounds. The next generation of campers is active on Hipcamp, with 75% of users under the age of 55 who are seeking new life experiences with modern convenience, noted the release.
“Beyond the acquisition, Hipcamp welcomes all campgrounds, RV parks, cabins and glamping providers to join the Hipcamp community,” stated the release. “Campgrounds who partner with Hipcamp experience higher conversion, smoother booking operations, and growth from previously untapped demographics.
“As the supply and demand on Hipcamp continues to expand, campgrounds and RV resorts have a huge opportunity to win over new campers and grow their business,” added the release. “Campgrounds report that more than 80% of third-party bookings are being generated by Hipcamp, including the majority of new bookings coming from new customers. As a stand-out example, Malibu Beach RV Park experienced unprecedented growth within their first year on the platform, with 95% of Hipcamp bookings coming from new customers.”
Allyson Jayes-Primack, campground manager of the Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground shared, “Most of our Hipcamp guests are Millennials and Gen Z. We realized we need to have more of a presence online to reach our audience. We still keep our unique character, but Hipcamp has helped to streamline our booking operations.”
Within their first year listed on Hipcamp, Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground secured hundreds of new bookings.
Notable Hipcamp figures
- Hipcamp community has grown into more than 7 million campers and has 1.3 million followers across social media accounts.
- New bookings occur every 30 seconds on Hipcamp, delivering five times more bookings than the closest competing platforms.
- In the past year, Hipcampers have booked more than 3.3 million individual nights outside.
- Hipcamp now has more than 140,000 bookable campsites across 5 million acres of land in four countries.
- 57% of bookings occur during mid-week or off-peak times, maximizing occupancy and revenue potential during slower booking windows.
- Hipcamp SEO leads the industry, earning top Google search results for campground listings.
Why list on Hipcamp?
- Boosted revenue: Top campground operators have generated more than $150,000 each year.
- Free to list: There are no fixed contracts or monthly fees, making it easy for campgrounds to join the Hipcamp family.
- Easy to list: Hipcamp handles the details, building listings and integrating seamlessly with reservation software.
- Increased visibility: Gain exposure to over 23 million unique visitors each year and benefit from industry-leading marketing efforts, including email campaigns, public relations, and social media outreach.
“Hipcamp is the largest and fastest growing community of campers in the world. In all our customer interviews and research, the top request—by far—from our campers is more places to camp. We’re so excited to be joining forces with BookOutdoors and its team of industry leaders to connect hundreds of amazing new campgrounds and RV parks with our community!” said Alyssa Ravasio, founder & CEO of Hipcamp.
“We’re thrilled to be joining Hipcamp, and this acquisition is a great win for both our customers and the industry. As the outdoor travel space has grown, it’s become clear that having a single, trusted destination for booking outdoor stays benefits both guests and campground operators. By combining forces with Hipcamp, we’re creating more opportunities for campgrounds and making it even easier for travelers to find and book their ideal outdoor experience,” explained Brian Nolan, co-founder & CEO of BookOutdoors.
For more information on listing a campground with Hipcamp, visit www.hipcamp.com/campground-owners or reach out to Lisa at [email protected].
