Campground Resorts Serving Boats & RVs Gaining Popularity – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is an excerpt of a report by Soundings Trade Only, a trade media company that covers the marine industry. Click here to read the full report.
Kirk Hanna grew up boating on the Intracoastal Waterway near North Myrtle Beach, S.C. After he entered the professional world, he wound up launching a construction firm. One of his clients was Ocean Lakes Family Campground, one of the largest camping areas on the East Coast.
A friend who was a camper would regale Hanna with stories of his multimonth adventures. When a piece of property came available on the Grand Strand Intracoastal Waterway in North Myrtle Beach, the proverbial lightbulb turned on.
“Me being a boating guy and growing up on the river and then seeing campers rolling in and out of Ocean Lakes during my job gave me the idea to build a resort that caters to both,” Hanna tells Soundings Trade Only.North Myrtle Beach RV Resort & Dry Dock Marina opened in 2018. In 2021, Hanna, who is president of the company, added another phase with 40 more RV sites and additional boat storage.
“As far as I can find, we are the first one on the East Coast,” Hanna says of being a resort that caters to boaters and RV owners.The concept is gaining traction. In Tennessee, the Rockwood Marina & RV Resort opened for Labor Day last year to serve RVs and boats. Owners of such businesses say that diversifying lets a resort or facility establish a more secure revenue stream, with compatible side businesses such as rentals, on-site restaurants and stores that can serve a larger customer base.
Additionally, an RV resort that has access to rental boats can introduce would-be boaters to the water. Boaters and RV enthusiasts take similar approaches to vacationing: Both enjoy being active near or on the water.
Click here to read the full report.
