Drive Results with Your Recreation

Campgrounds and RV parks are no longer just places where guests park their vehicles or pitch tents. As travelers seek more immersive and experience-driven vacations, the demand for unique, engaging recreational offerings is rising sharply. Campground owners who prioritize recreational amenities create more value for their guests, attract more visitors, and justify premium rates. This is where launching exciting, scalable amenities can make all the difference in boosting occupancy, increasing revenue and delivering a strong return on investment (ROI).

The Role of Recreation: Why It’s a Game-Changer 

Why does recreation matter so much? Simply put, it’s a key differentiator. While guests expect clean facilities, beautiful landscapes and basic amenities, what truly elevates their stay is the opportunity to enjoy exciting activities. A well-thought-out recreation strategy with options that appeals to multiple generations keeps guests entertained on-site, encourages longer stays, and increases repeat business. When guests feel they’re getting exceptional value, they’re willing to pay higher rates. 

The good news is that there are scalable solutions for campgrounds of all sizes. Whether you’re a smaller operation with limited resources or a larger property looking to make a splash, strategic investments in recreation can deliver outsized returns. 

Bundling Recreation for Maximum Value 

Adding one or two standalone amenities to your campground may not generate the level of excitement or financial return you’re hoping for. To truly boost occupancy and justify increased rates, it’s essential to think about bundling multiple recreational offerings at once. Bundling creates a sense of value, making guests feel like they’re getting more for their money. 

Imagine you’re adding a few new features to your campground, such as a playground and a few nature trails. While these are nice additions, they might not be enough to justify a rate increase on their own. However, if you bundle them together with a few other key amenities—perhaps an interactive mini golf course, a pedal kart track and a pickleball court—you’re now offering a more comprehensive experience that significantly enhances the guest’s perception of value. Launching multiple amenities creates an attractive package that guests are willing to pay a premium for. 

By making a single, more substantial investment, you can enhance the overall experience and avoid the slow, piecemeal approach that doesn’t generate the same buzz. Plus, it’s easier to market a suite of offerings than individual amenities over time. Campers are more likely to choose a campground with an exciting “Adventure Zone” than one that only offers basic activities. 

Turnkey, Low-Staffing Solutions 

One of the biggest concerns for campground owners when expanding recreational offerings is the potential increase in staffing needs. However, there are plenty of scalable, plug-and-play solutions that require minimal staffing or maintenance. These turnkey options allow you to offer engaging activities without the need for significant additional resources. 

Splashpads, for example, can keep children entertained for hours with no required lifeguard supervision due to the zero-depth entry and drainage of the water features.  Nature-based trails or scavenger hunts provide an immersive outdoor experience that requires minimal upkeep. Pedal karts are also a huge draw for families and can be operated with low staffing levels. These kinds of amenities are perfect for campgrounds with limited resources or smaller staffs, offering a way to scale up your recreation without taking on extra overhead.  

Recreation ROI Modeling 

Investing in recreation not only provides a better guest experience, but it will also improve your bottom line. The key to ensuring a strong ROI lies in careful planning and a strategic approach to pricing. The first step is to understand how much your new recreational amenities will cost and how quickly they will generate returns.  

Let’s say you invest $100,000 in a bundle of recreational amenities. By increasing your nightly rates by $10 per site and boosting occupancy by 20% thanks to your new offerings, you could generate an additional $75,000 in revenue per year. After subtracting the cost of the investment, you’d recoup your initial spend in just over a year—everything after that is profit. 

Pricing Strategies 

In addition to increasing nightly rates, there are other ways to quickly achieve ROI. It’s important to understand your demographic, consider your existing operations and opportunities for new financial structures. 

• Charging a small resort fee or creating “Premium Experience Packages” with all-inclusive access to your new recreation zones for a set fee, providing a valuable upgrade for guests and allowing you to increase your per-guest revenue. 

• Alternatively, offering a-la-carte add-ons could work well with your operations. More frugal guests may feel empowered that they can choose their experience. 

• Implementing a “wrist band” fee that grants access to all your amenities will help integrate a rate increase, while leaving it up to the guests to take advantage of your new offerings.  

Loan Strategy 

Financing your recreation investment upfront allows you to implement multiple amenities at once, creating a bigger impact for guests. By securing a loan and repaying it with increased revenue from higher rates and occupancy, you can generate profit while paying off the investment. The key is to launch your amenities in an impressive sweep so that you see immediate revenue increases that help you manage loan repayments without putting a strain on your cash flow. In short, your investment will pay for itself! 

Marketing Best Practices 

Investing in recreation is only part of the equation. You need to market your new amenities effectively to generate excitement and increase bookings. In other words, hype it up! Doing so well in advance of your launch or opening date will stir up anticipation. It’s important to get the buzz out so campers can plan their vacations and make your destination a must-visit on their list. One of the most powerful ways to do this is through strategic naming. Turning an amenity into an experience by giving it a creative, descriptive name helps guests visualize the fun they’ll have before they even arrive. 

The Power of Naming 

Instead of calling a standard playground just a “playground,” why not rename it the “Explorer’s Playground” or “Adventure Zone”? These names evoke a sense of excitement around your amenities. Similarly, a simple hiking trail could become the “Mystic Forest Treetop Walkway.” By giving your amenities names that paint a picture, you create anticipation and add perceived value to your offerings. 

Naming your amenities creatively makes them feel like destinations in themselves, which can help justify increased rates. When guests see an “Adventure Zone” on your booking site, they’re more likely to feel they are getting a unique experience—and excited guests are willing to pay more for that experience. 

Vendor Resources 

In addition to conveying a scene with words, it never fails to paint a picture with actual imagery of your thrilling new additions. But how do you do so before you have on-site photography opportunities? Use your vendor as a resource. Most likely, your recreation equipment vendors already have images and videos that showcase the amenities in action. These resources can help you promote your new offerings, even if the images aren’t specific to your campground. The goal is to emphasize the emotional experience guests will have when they visit. Show smiling families, kids enjoying the play structures or whomever your target demographic may be. 

 Promoting Your New Recreation Offerings 

Once you’ve implemented your new recreation amenities, it’s time to spread the word. Use a combination of press releases, regional associations (such as COE and WACO), travel news sites, local news outlets, social media and email marketing to announce your new additions. In the off season, people will be doing a lot of online research to plan their getaways. So, updating your booking site descriptions to highlight your new recreation zones with their creative names and teaser reels will stir excitement.     

Recreation is the secret to driving results at your campground. By bundling scalable, low-staff amenities, creating a strategic recreation plan, and marketing your offerings effectively, you can boost occupancy, increase nightly rates, and see a fast ROI on your investments. Whether you’re a small campground with limited resources or a larger property looking to expand, there are affordable and impactful recreation solutions that can transform your business. The rewards are waiting—both in guest satisfaction and in your bottom line. 

Want to learn more about driving results for your campground? Join Commercial Recreation Specialists’ Founder, Ron Romens, at COE for a live breakdown of ROI modeling and how to strategically launch multiple amenities. Can’t make it to the show? No worries! Get in touch with a Recreation Specialist by calling 877-896-8442 or learn more about CRS’ proven solutions at www.crs4rec.com.