Hipcamp, REI Partner to Promote ‘Favorite’ Camping Spots – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
Hipcamp, the San Francisco-based company that pioneered the Airbnb model for camping, has partnered with REI, the outdoor gear and apparel co-op with 24 million members. Together, they will promote some of the favorite camping spots chosen by REI members.
“We’ve built a collection of REI member favorite camping spots,” explained Hipcamp’s head of partnerships, Kristen Vasan. “These are places that co-op members have reviewed, liked, or camped at, and we’ve got tens of thousands across the country based on the four years we’ve been partners.” REI members will earn a $20 statement credit when they use their REI Co-op Mastercard to book a Hipcamp site.
The promotion kicked off April 1 and runs through June 2.
Hipcamp was founded in 2013 by Alyssa Ravasio, now the CEO. She used her tech background to develop a better way for people to find camping opportunities that suit their individual needs.
Since its launch, Hipcamp has grown significantly, now offering over 144,000 campsites across 16,500 locations in the U.S and boasting 7.5 million registered users. Sites include national, state, and local parks, private campgrounds, and individuals offering unique stays at camping accommodations on their private land. The number of RV sites has grown 57% year over year.
Although Hipcamp may not be well-known in the RV industry and is often viewed as a niche player, it has emerged as a significant force in campsite booking. The company offers thousands of sites for RVs, vans and tent campers. According to internal statistics, Hipcamp facilitated over 3.3 million “people nights” of camping last year, highlighting its mission to encourage more people to connect with nature and enjoy the outdoors.
It’s no secret that booking a desirable campsite has become more challenging since COVID-19, especially if you don’t plan months in advance. Hipcamp aims to alleviate this difficulty with its user-friendly search and booking platform. According to Partnership Head Vasan, most people visiting the site complete their stay within 72 hours of booking, as they find “a ton of inventory (campsites) in desirable locations.” Users can search, book, and pay all on one platform.
So how does Hipcamp’s growth and success benefit RV OEMs, the aftermarket, and campgrounds? Vasan explained it this way:
- By making the process of booking a campsite easier, RV owners will be more likely to use their vehicles frequently. This increases the chances that they will continue enjoying the RV lifestyle, invest in accessories, and eventually consider trading up.
- Many of Hipcamp’s 7.5 million registered users, a significant portion of whom are REI members, are unfamiliar with RV camping. Hipcamp can help introduce this untapped audience—individuals under 55 who earn over $100,000 a year—to the RV lifestyle.
- Hipcamp offers campgrounds an effective way to increase their bookings. Vasan mentioned that 98% of bookings made through Hipcamp come from first-time visitors. The average annual revenue generated by campgrounds listed on Hipcamp ranges from $10,000 to $15,000, with some campgrounds reporting revenues as high as $250,000. Additionally, there is no signup fee for campgrounds that want to be listed on the Hipcamp site.
In summary, Hipcamp is benefiting the RV industry by driving incremental bookings, expanding the camping audience, increasing RV site inventory, and leveraging its partnership with REI to connect RV campgrounds to a large, engaged community of campers..
