A recent study by a well-respected research firm produced some interesting statistics that should be of interest to any RV park buyer or owner. It helps to put into perspective the real motivations by RV park customers in the post-Covid era.
Spending quality time with friends and family: 52%
A Harvard study that went on for 80 years found that the most important ingredient to living a happy life was “good relationships”. And this lesson has not been lost on RV owners. This means that a good RV park focuses on the activities that allow for positive recreation among friends and family. An array of group activities (swimming, basketball, volleyball, fishing, etc.) is really the #1 method of giving the customer what they want. They’ll do the rest.
Safer form of travel than hotels: 45%
The pandemic has permanently ruined the lodging industry with hotels and motels at a fraction of their former occupancy glory. The problem is that Americans just don’t feel safe being in confined spaces with strangers and particularly sharing beds and bathrooms with people they’ve never met from the night before. To meet this need of RV owners all you have to do is just have your doors open as they are not asking anything from you except social distancing and sleeping in their own bed.
Peace and quiet: 35%
Here’s an amenity that is priceless yet costs the RV park owner nothing to create. Of course, there are some things that can definitely help foster these desires. If you have road noise, build a tree line or build a water feature that makes continual noise to cancel it out. If you have a bad view, fix it with landscaping. Build screening features between lots like bushes and attractive fences. Create areas of natural serenity like a small fishing pond. Install benches for reflection.
Surrounded by the wonders of nature: 29%
Your RV park either has this one or it doesn’t, but even an overnighter property can ramp up the nature aspect if it really tries. What is the wonder of nature? Noises, sights, smells. Most everywhere has these items. See what you can do to emphasize these. Have a small pond? Why not buy some ducks at a livestock fair and let them make a home on it and then stock it with fish. No space for that? How about a koi pond with a waterfall? Nature is all around you and it’s up to the RV park owner of how to accentuate it.
Relaxation: 22%
Relaxation is defined as “to make less tense or rigid”. So think about what interrupts your customers’ serenity. Noise is one example. So make sure to enforce any rules about making loud sounds, particularly after dark. And you might try to position your guests based on their interests, with those who are simply looking for privacy far from the group activity areas. A good manager can watch over all guests and make sure they are happy and stress-free.
Conclusion
RV park owners can make good use of these recent survey results to ensure a higher level of customer satisfaction. Many of these items are free and the others are very inexpensive to implement. But using this list as a worksheet will definitely improve your desirability and reviews.