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US: Outdoor stays booking platform Hipcamp has acquired BookOutdoors, an online travel booking platform for campgrounds, RV parks, cabins and glamping resorts.
The acquisition is being seen as a move to meet the growing demand from campers who are searching for well-equipped places to camp.
According to the OHI Generational Camping Report, 65 per cent of millennials and Gen Z prefer to choose campsites with strong amenities. Meanwhile, the 2024 KOA Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report stated that active campers have increased by 68 per cent over the past ten years, adding an additional 21.6 million households that are searching for places to stay.
This summer, Hipcamp reported seeing an increase by almost 200 per cent in searches for new places to camp and an 87 per cent increase in searches for campgrounds offering amenities. Additionally, searches for wifi-equipped campgrounds are up 110 per cent year over year.
In the past year, ‘Hipcampers’ have booked more than 3.3 million individual nights outside. Hipcamp’s latest acquisition is designed to help campers find what they are looking as, as well as to increase revenue for campgrounds – 75 per cent of the company’s users are also under the age of 55 who are “seeking new life experiences with modern convenience”.
Alyssa Ravasio, founder and CEO of Hipcamp, said: “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,” she added.
Brian Nolan, co-founder and CEO of BookOutdoors, said: “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 travellers to find and book their ideal outdoor experience,” he added.
Since its founding in 2013, the platform’s community has grown to reach more than seven million campers, while it also lists over 140,000 bookable campsites across five million acres of land in four countries.
After closing a $57 million Series C funding round in January 2021, the company purchased online camping brand Cool Camping for an undisclosed sum 12 months later to expand into the UK.
