As of 2024, the United States is home to approximately 15,276 campgrounds and RV parks, reflecting a 1.5% increase from 2023 (source). This steady growth underscores the continued strength of the camping industry but also intensifies competition, making it essential for operators to stand out in an expanding and evolving market.
Pricing and visibility are two critical factors in attracting more campers and boosting revenue. Connecting your RV sites, lodging, tent sites, and glamping rentals to Spot2Nite through your property management system (PMS) places your outdoor accommodations in front of over 69 million high-intent campers and RVers on the industry’s leading online travel agency (OTA) and marketplace.
Read on to decide if Spot2Nite’s commission-free or rate parity pricing strategy is best for your campground, and how you can further expand visibility through premium placements on Spot2Nite’s distribution partner, Roadtrippers — the go-to trip planning platform for outdoor adventurers.
Rate Parity vs. Commission-Free Listings
Rate parity, sometimes referred to as price parity, ensures price transparency and builds trust by providing consistent pricing for the same campsite across all reservation platforms. This approach simplifies booking decisions for campers, as they can expect the same nightly rate regardless of where they reserve. Choosing to list your outdoor accommodations with a rate parity discount does affect the net revenue you as the campground operator would receive from reservations made through Spot2Nite’s campground marketplace. Understanding Spot2Nite’s booking fees and their purpose can help you decide whether a rate parity or commission-free listing strategy aligns best with your campground’s financial goals and occupancy needs.
Commission-Free Listing
Campgrounds can connect their standard nightly rates to Spot2Nite through a Commission-Free Listing, and receive in full with zero commissions taken when a traveler books a reservation. Spot2Nite charges a 10% convenience fee to the traveler upon checkout.
Rate Parity Listing
Campgrounds can instead offer a 10%+ discount on their standard nightly rates through a Rate Parity Listing, either through a setting within their PMS or by adjusting their net distribution. In this scenario, travelers see an attention-grabbing banner highlighting the discount on the campground’s profile in search results and within a special “Offers for you” section on Spot2Nite’s homepage. Spot2Nite still charges a 10% convenience fee to the traveler upon checkout, but the subtotal is now more competitive and final total is more equivalent to booking directly. Campgrounds participating with a Rate Parity Listing also include a complimentary high-value marketing bundle for added exposure.
Spot2Nite’s Rate Parity Marketing Bundle
When asked to list the barriers to growth and development, 55% of current operators selected marketing services as the resource most needed to grow (source). Spot2Nite’s Rate Parity Marketing Bundle arms campground and RV Park owners with an arsenal of targeted in-app advertising designed to attract more campers.
Home Page Features
Secure features in two premium placements on Spot2Nite’s home page: the hero carousel and the “Offers for you” section just a short scroll down.
Sponsored Listing
Stand out by moving to the top of search results in up to three city/state markets and appearing directly on competitor profiles.
In-App Mobile Alerts & Push Notifications
Spot2Nite will set up automated push notifications that are geo-targeted to travelers within a 150-mile radius of your campground, as well as a push notification targeting past guests in your area and users with relevant behavioral data and demographics.
Email Feature
Reach Spot2Nite’s first-party database of high-intent RVers and campers through an email feature.
Social Ad
Boost traffic to your campground’s profile on Spot2Nite through a paid ad campaign across Meta, utilizing Spot2Nite’s first-party data and lookalike audiences.
Rate Parity Case Study
The introduction of rate parity on the Spot2Nite platform has significantly enhanced revenue performance for participating campgrounds. Village Camp Truckee experienced a remarkable 54% increase in booked earnings over a three-month period, translating to a 47% rise compared to the same timeframe the previous year. Shady Shores RV Resort and Campground saw a 64% increase in booked earnings within three months of Rate Parity Listing, representing a staggering 350% growth compared to the previous year.
By choosing a Rate Parity Listing on Spot2Nite, these campgrounds enhanced their visibility through the Rate Parity Marketing Bundle and significantly increased their booked earnings, demonstrating how strategic pricing can lead to sustained financial success in the campground industry.
Enhancing Visibility with Roadtrippers Featured Listings
Campgrounds, RV parks, and glamping resorts listed on Spot2Nite have a competitive booking advantage through our marketplace and distribution channel partners, which collectively reach a targeted audience of over 69 million campers. Through a strategic integration with Roadtrippers, campgrounds listed on Spot2Nite are directly bookable on their platform.
Spot2Nite partners with Roadtrippers to offer Spot2Nite-connected campgrounds exclusive access to Featured Listings packages on Roadtrippers that prioritize your RV park in search results through premium placements and guaranteed impressions. Read to see how you can increase user interactions by 2.51x and earn more campsite reservation revenue.
The Power of Roadtrippers Featured Listings
Roadtrippers is the ultimate travel companion for RV adventurers, offering RV-specific GPS, turn-by-turn directions, and Apple CarPlay compatibility. The platform features over 16,000 free overnight parking spots, 50,000 campgrounds, and customizable routes based on RV size and preferences, making it a reliable, all-in-one solution for over 16 million travelers.
Millions of Users
Roadtrippers is a leading road trip planning platform, with over 38 million annual visits.
Targeted Exposure
Featured Listings appear at the top of relevant search results, increasing visibility for campgrounds and RV parks.
Direct Bookings
Because of Roadtrippers’ integration with Spot2Nite’s booking engine, Featured Listings help drive more direct, in-app reservations by eliminating redirects and reliance on high-cost, commission-based third-party booking sites. Remember, you can connect your outdoor accommodations to the Spot2Nite OTA for free.
Featured Listings Marketing Tools
A Basic or Premium Featured Listing package on Roadtrippers provides operators the opportunity to earn between 25,000 – 250,000 impressions through profile enhancements, priority placements on top-search points of interest, email newsletter features, and display ads. Campgrounds participating with a Featured Listing can expect up to 2.51x more interactions.
Increased Travel Rank Visibility Score
The Roadtrippers Travel Rank Score boosts a listing’s visibility in search results, recommendations, and gallery placements to attract more travelers.
Featured Campgrounds Gallery
The Featured Campgrounds Gallery highlights media from Featured Listing campgrounds on nearby campground pages and outdoor category points of interest like Places to Camp, Great Outdoors, and Campendium.
Campground Newsletter Emails
Featured Listing campgrounds are promoted in weekly and monthly emails targeting users planning trips and activities in relevant regions.
Display Ads
Campground display ads appear on nearby campground and RV park pages, driving targeted customer engagement.
A Winning Combination
When used together, the Spot2Nite Rate Parity strategy and Roadtrippers Featured Listings are a powerful approach to campground and RV park marketing. To stay ahead in the competitive campground market, making an informed choice between commission-free and rate parity listings is crucial. By opting for rate parity, you not only ensure consistent pricing but also gain access to a valuable campground and RV park marketing bundle designed to enhance your visibility and attract more bookings. Harness the power of Featured Listings packages on Roadtrippers to prioritize your property for extra exposure, helping you stand out among competitors and increase campsite reservation revenue.
Get Started Today
Ready to optimize your pricing strategy and gain premium visibility? Sign up for a commission-free or rate parity listing on Spot2Nite, explore this exclusive Roadtrippers Featured Listing opportunity, and leverage Spot2Nite’s comprehensive marketing tools to grow your campground business.
Visit partners.spot2nite.com or email parkrelations@spot2nite.com to get started today.
