[Industry] Talking about the American KOA chain camp behind the giants

The RV culture in European and American countries can be traced back more than a century ago. According to the statistics of relevant data companies in the United States, as of 2017, about 8.5 million people in the United States choose to travel in RVs. Generated an average of about $20 billion in revenue. As the largest chain camp in the world, the KOA chain camp in the United States has set a perfect industry benchmark for the camping industry around the world since its establishment in 1962.

The modern camping industry originated in the United States in 1861. At first, this outdoor activity was to exercise young people’s survival skills and courage in the face of nature. The requirements of life are also gradually increasing. This leisure lifestyle that challenges oneself and is close to nature has gradually become a mainstream entertainment method and is loved by more and more people.

The initial facilities and services of the campsite are relatively simple, with only simple tents, sleeping bags, lights and cooking tools and other facilities, and camp services are limited to water supply, power supply and refueling. With the rapid development of American highways and the popularity of RV culture, driving RVs to campsites has essentially promoted the development and growth of the American camping industry. All of a sudden, the multi-functional complex comprehensive camp took root in the vast fertile soil of North America. The camps in the United States and Canada are divided into public and private. Most of the camps in national parks, national forests and other state, provincial and municipal parks are owned by the government and belong to public camps. Such camps are usually built in beautiful scenery. However, most public campsites have relatively simple facilities, with picnic tables, barbecue areas and toilets in the campground, and the average camping fee per night is about US$5-10. In addition to public camps, private camp brands are also showing multi-point blooming. Among them, the KOA chain camp brand occupies almost half of the camping market in North America.

Brand Story

Founded in 1962, KOA (Kampgrounds of America), headquartered in Billings, Montana, is the largest chain of campgrounds in North America. The KOA camp chain, which has been successfully operating for 55 years, has been providing high-quality family camping services for tourists from all over the world. At present, KOA has more than 500 chain campgrounds in various regions of the United States and Canada. The bright yellow logo makes the KOA chain brand quickly known to millions of campers.

In 1962, Dave Drum, the founder of the KOA camp in the United States, a businessman in Billings, Montana, saw many cars and RVs dragging luggage on the highway while walking by the Yellowstone River. He also learned that there was no perfect place to provide comfortable accommodation for these tourists on the road, and then he, John Wallace and two other partners decided to create a camp that could provide accommodation and services for tourists. So Dave Drum established the first Billings camp on his own land. Tourists driving RVs can park their RVs in the camps, and each berth is equipped with a fire arresting ring and a dining table. Hot showers, a restaurant, and a minimart are also available at the campsite, and the nightly camping fee is only $1.75.

Billings Camp has developed rapidly, and there is an endless stream of tourists camping here. Under the environment of the successful operation of the camp, after a year of precipitation and accumulation, in the summer of 1963, Dave Dooling and his partners decided to establish the first campground chain system in North America, that is, in This year, they decided to officially name the camp as Kampgrounds of America (KOA) camp, and since then began to attract franchisees and operate the KOA chain brand.

KOA Chain Camp Advantages

One of the reasons for the popularity of KOA camps is the easy and convenient reservation system. KOA’s website is a comprehensive website that can provide tourists with a variety of services. In the final analysis, it is mainly an information sharing and reservation platform. Tourists can search for interested campsites according to their location and needs. The website can not only provide online booking service, but also provide tourists and KOA members with the latest RV and camp information, and also list the activities held by each chain camp on the website, providing reference for tourists to formulate routes and strategies, and get closer The website with social functions has attracted many tourists to browse, which has also transmitted KOA’s brand influence to the public virtually.

· Eye-catching logo

At present, the KOA brand has more than 500 franchisees in North America, that is to say, no matter where you travel, you can always see the eye-catching yellow “KOA” logo near some interesting places or national parks, set against the greenery In the camp, the eye-catching yellow has become the focus that people cannot ignore. The KOA logo throughout the United States has greatly promoted people’s awareness of the KOA brand.

· “Yellow Shirts” Conquer the World

All employees who join KOA must receive training at the KOA Academy. KOA organizes 6 employee trainings every year, aiming to gather the employees of KOA franchisees from all over the world to learn about camping. After the training, everyone will get a yellow KOA T-shirt, so KOA employees are also called “Yellow Shirts”. These professional and systematically trained employees can provide tourists with destination and route information. It can be said that these enthusiastic and passionate “yellow shirts” have won half of KOA.

· Perfect camp facilities

Whether tourists choose to stay overnight or for a long time at the KOA camp, KOA can provide tourists with a comfortable, well-equipped and affordable accommodation experience. The camp has a variety of facilities, including campsites, cabins, cable TV, and campfire rings , small barbecue pits, bicycle rental, mini golf course, WiFi, swimming pool, boating, fishing, hiking and other facilities and services.

· Detailed surrounding tourist information

The “Yellow Shirt Army” staff in the camp are not only the service personnel of the camp, but also professional tour guides. Foreign tourists who go camping in the camp can consult the staff about the famous scenic spots and special delicacies around the camp. Of course, the “Yellow Shirts” will also offer the most loyal travel routes or food recommendations. The enthusiastic service of the KOA camp will make every tourist experience the care of being at home.

· Sufficient camp space

The website of KOA chain camps all over the North American continent is a comprehensive website that can provide tourists with a variety of services. In the final analysis, it is mainly an information sharing and reservation platform. Tourists can search for interested campsites according to their location and needs. There are already more than 500 camps, and the total number of camps in all camps has reached more than 60,000. No matter in terms of the number of camps or the size of the camps, the KOA chain camps are well-deserved to become the largest chain camps in the world. Sufficient camping places allow camping tourists to choose their favorite camping style at will, and each camping place will be cleaned and maintained regularly to ensure the perfect accommodation experience for tourists to the greatest extent.

· Both experience and opinion

About 1 million families come to the KOA camp every year for camping. After more than 50 years of baptism, KOA still maintains the tradition of regularly conducting customer satisfaction surveys. KOA chain camps conduct questionnaire surveys on about 250,000 camping tourists every year in order to continuously adjust and adapt to customer and market needs, fully listen to tourists’ feelings and make corresponding adjustments and improvements in a timely manner, which is the road of KOA as an international brand. The wider the base.

· Member benefits and services

KOA members need to pay an annual membership fee of 24 US dollars to enjoy a 10% discount on camping prices. At the same time, the KOA brand also cooperates with some other brands, so holding a KOA membership card can also enjoy certain discounts in other institutions. In addition, KOA members will also enjoy preferential activities such as roadside assistance, RV rental, and discount promotions.

· Safety first

The natural scenery in North America is very beautiful, but large wild animals often appear in the jungle or mountains. Choosing camp accommodation during the journey is a relatively safe accommodation option. There are guard patrol areas around all camps, and the outermost part will be protected by fences to prevent

Dangerous animals approach and hurt tourists. Usually, KOA camps are located away from the living areas of large wild animals, where the natural environment is relatively safe. For RV users, as long as they park in the campsite, it is safe enough.

Way of doing business

The main source of income for KOA campsites is the parking fees charged by RVs overnight. Each KOA chain campsite will have a variety of accommodation options, including cabins, RVs, tents, luxury mobile homes, etc., and the accommodation fees charged account for the total KOA campsites. Nearly 50% of operating income. Other auxiliary facilities in the camp include reception centers, conference centers, retail stores, restaurants, bars, indoor and outdoor fitness and entertainment programs, public baths, toilets, laundry rooms, swimming pools, parent-child water entertainment programs, etc. Preferential franchise policy is also a sharp weapon to attract franchisees. Over the years, KOA has not only strict requirements on brand franchisees, but also lures lucrative profits. KOA has relatively strict requirements on the location and conditions of franchise camps, but the rewards obtained after joining are also relatively generous. KOA headquarters will have professional designers to control the overall planning and layout of the camp. The signage at the entrance of each camp is completed under the careful planning of the designers; after joining KOA, the headquarters will provide training for franchisees. All expenses incurred during this period will be borne by KOA; after the camp is completed, KOA business development consultants will go to the site to provide operational training and guidance according to local conditions; KOA has a software specifically for the camp booking system, Kamp Sight registration & booking software, which is convenient KOA Group conducts unified management and services for franchisees.

epilogue

In today’s market where the chain camp brands are ebb and flow, after more than half a century of polishing and experience, the important reason why the KOA chain brand is still standing is that it has always adhered to the “customer first” business philosophy. Over the years, KOA has always insisted on conducting satisfaction surveys to camping tourists, and inspecting and supervising each franchisee on time, so as to ensure that the camps under these chain brands can provide high-quality services for tourists. KOA conducts more than 600 inspections on campsites every year, which is regarded as the most stringent inspection standard in the industry, so it is no surprise that KOA can develop into the benchmark of the global camping industry.